1
|
Turgeon A, Fu J, Divyanshi, Ma M, Jin Z, Hwang H, Li M, Qiao H, Mei W, Yang J. Dzip1 is dynamically expressed in the vertebrate germline and regulates the development of Xenopus primordial germ cells. Dev Biol 2024; 514:28-36. [PMID: 38880277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the precursors of sperms and oocytes. Proper development of PGCs is crucial for the survival of the species. In many organisms, factors responsible for PGC development are synthesized during early oogenesis and assembled into the germ plasm. During early embryonic development, germ plasm is inherited by a few cells, leading to the formation of PGCs. While germline development has been extensively studied, how components of the germ plasm regulate PGC development is not fully understood. Here, we report that Dzip1 is dynamically expressed in vertebrate germline and is a novel component of the germ plasm in Xenopus and zebrafish. Knockdown of Dzip1 impairs PGC development in Xenopus embryos. At the molecular level, Dzip1 physically interacts with Dazl, an evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein that plays a multifaced role during germline development. We further showed that the sequence between amino acid residues 282 and 550 of Dzip1 is responsible for binding to Dazl. Disruption of the binding between Dzip1 and Dazl leads to defective PGC development. Taken together, our results presented here demonstrate that Dzip1 is dynamically expressed in the vertebrate germline and plays a novel function during Xenopus PGC development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Turgeon
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jia Fu
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Divyanshi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Meng Ma
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zhigang Jin
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Hyojeong Hwang
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meining Li
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Huanyu Qiao
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Wenyan Mei
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shi DL. Interplay of RNA-binding proteins controls germ cell development in zebrafish. J Genet Genomics 2024:S1673-8527(24)00163-2. [PMID: 38969260 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The specification of germ cells in zebrafish mostly relies on an inherited mechanism by which localized maternal determinants, called germ plasm, confer germline fate in the early embryo. Extensive studies have partially allowed the identification of key regulators governing germ plasm formation and subsequent germ cell development. RNA-binding proteins, acting in concert with other germ plasm components, play essential roles in the organization of the germ plasm and the specification, migration, maintenance, and differentiation of primordial germ cells. The loss of their functions impairs germ cell formation and causes sterility or sexual conversion. Evidence is emerging that they instruct germline development through differential regulation of mRNA fates in somatic and germ cells. However, the challenge remains to decipher the complex interplay of maternal germ plasm components in germ plasm compartmentalization and germ cell specification. Since failure to control the developmental outcome of germ cells disrupts the formation of gametes, it is important to gain a complete picture of regulatory mechanisms operating in the germ cell lineage. This review sheds light on the contributions of RNA-binding proteins to germ cell development in zebrafish and highlights intriguing questions that remain open for future investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- De-Li Shi
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, CNRS-UMR7622, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne University, 75005 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Connors CQ, Mauro MS, Wiles JT, Countryman AD, Martin SL, Lacroix B, Shirasu-Hiza M, Dumont J, Kasza KE, Davies TR, Canman JC. Germ fate determinants protect germ precursor cell division by reducing septin and anillin levels at the cell division plane. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar94. [PMID: 38696255 PMCID: PMC11244169 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e24-02-0096-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal cell cytokinesis, or the physical division of one cell into two, is thought to be driven by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring at the division plane. The mechanisms underlying cell type-specific differences in cytokinesis remain unknown. Germ cells are totipotent cells that pass genetic information to the next generation. Previously, using formincyk-1(ts) mutant Caenorhabditis elegans 4-cell embryos, we found that the P2 germ precursor cell is protected from cytokinesis failure and can divide with greatly reduced F-actin levels at the cell division plane. Here, we identified two canonical germ fate determinants required for P2-specific cytokinetic protection: PIE-1 and POS-1. Neither has been implicated previously in cytokinesis. These germ fate determinants protect P2 cytokinesis by reducing the accumulation of septinUNC-59 and anillinANI-1 at the division plane, which here act as negative regulators of cytokinesis. These findings may provide insight into the regulation of cytokinesis in other cell types, especially in stem cells with high potency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Q. Connors
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Michael S. Mauro
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - J. Tristian Wiles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | | | - Sophia L. Martin
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Benjamin Lacroix
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier, UMR 5237 Montpellier, France
| | - Mimi Shirasu-Hiza
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Julien Dumont
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Karen E. Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Timothy R. Davies
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Julie C. Canman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pamula MC, Lehmann R. How germ granules promote germ cell fate. Nat Rev Genet 2024:10.1038/s41576-024-00744-8. [PMID: 38890558 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00744-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Germ cells are the only cells in the body capable of giving rise to a new organism, and this totipotency hinges on their ability to assemble membraneless germ granules. These specialized RNA and protein complexes are hallmarks of germ cells throughout their life cycle: as embryonic germ granules in late oocytes and zygotes, Balbiani bodies in immature oocytes, and nuage in maturing gametes. Decades of developmental, genetic and biochemical studies have identified protein and RNA constituents unique to germ granules and have implicated these in germ cell identity, genome integrity and gamete differentiation. Now, emerging research is defining germ granules as biomolecular condensates that achieve high molecular concentrations by phase separation, and it is assigning distinct roles to germ granules during different stages of germline development. This organization of the germ cell cytoplasm into cellular subcompartments seems to be critical not only for the flawless continuity through the germline life cycle within the developing organism but also for the success of the next generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruth Lehmann
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ohta N, Christiaen L. Cellular remodeling and JAK inhibition promote zygotic gene expression in the Ciona germline. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:2188-2201. [PMID: 38649664 PMCID: PMC11094015 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcription control is a major determinant of cell fate decisions in somatic tissues. By contrast, early germline fate specification in numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species relies extensively on RNA-level regulation, exerted on asymmetrically inherited maternal supplies, with little-to-no zygotic transcription. However delayed, a maternal-to-zygotic transition is nevertheless poised to complete the deployment of pre-gametic programs in the germline. Here, we focus on early germline specification in the tunicate Ciona to study zygotic genome activation. We first demonstrate that a peculiar cellular remodeling event excludes localized postplasmic Pem-1 mRNA, which encodes the general inhibitor of transcription. Subsequently, zygotic transcription begins in Pem-1-negative primordial germ cells (PGCs), as revealed by histochemical detection of elongating RNA Polymerase II, and nascent Mef2 transcripts. In addition, we uncover a provisional antagonism between JAK and MEK/BMPRI/GSK3 signaling, which controls the onset of zygotic gene expression, following cellular remodeling of PGCs. We propose a 2-step model for the onset of zygotic transcription in the Ciona germline and discuss the significance of germ plasm dislocation and remodeling in the context of developmental fate specification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoyuki Ohta
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Lionel Christiaen
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Turgeon A, Fu J, Divyanshi, Ma M, Jin Z, Hwang H, Li M, Qiao H, Mei W, Yang J. Dzip1 is dynamically expressed in the vertebrate germline and regulates the development of Xenopus primordial germ cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.20.590349. [PMID: 38712275 PMCID: PMC11071414 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.20.590349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the precursors of sperms and oocytes. Proper development of PGCs is crucial for the survival of the species. In many organisms, factors responsible for PGC development are synthesized during early oogenesis and assembled into the germ plasm. During early embryonic development, germ plasm is inherited by a few cells, leading to the formation of PGCs. While germline development has been extensively studied, how components of the germ plasm regulate PGC development is not fully understood. Here, we report that Dzip1 is dynamically expressed in vertebrate germline and is a novel component of the germ plasm in Xenopus and zebrafish. Knockdown of Dzip1 impairs PGC development in Xenopus embryos. At the molecular level, Dzip1 physically interacts with Dazl, an evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein that plays a multifaced role during germline development. We further showed that the sequence between amino acid residues 282 and 550 of Dzip1 is responsible for binding to Dazl. Disruption of the binding between Dzip1 and Dazl leads to defective PGC development. Taken together, our results presented here demonstrate that Dzip1 is dynamically expressed in the vertebrate germline and plays a novel function during Xenopus PGC development.
Collapse
|
7
|
Deng X, Liang S, Tang Y, Li Y, Xu R, Luo L, Wang Q, Zhang X, Liu Y. Adverse effects of bisphenol A and its analogues on male fertility: An epigenetic perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 345:123393. [PMID: 38266695 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing concern about the adverse effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on male fertility. Epigenetic modification is critical for male germline development, and has been suggested as a potential mechanism for impaired fertility induced by EDCs. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been recognized as a typical EDC. BPA and its analogues, which are still widely used in various consumer products, have garnered increasing attention due to their reproductive toxicity and the potential to induce epigenetic alteration. This literature review provides an overview of studies investigating the adverse effects of bisphenol exposures on epigenetic modifications and male fertility. Existing studies provide evidence that exposure to bisphenols can lead to adverse effects on male fertility, including declined semen quality, altered reproductive hormone levels, and adverse reproductive outcomes. Epigenetic patterns, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA expression, can be altered by bisphenol exposures. Transgenerational effects, which influence the fertility and epigenetic patterns of unexposed generations, have also been identified. However, the magnitude and direction of certain outcomes varied across different studies. Investigations into the dynamics of histopathological and epigenetic alterations associated with bisphenol exposures during developmental stages can enhance the understanding of the epigenetic effects of bisphenols, the implication of epigenetic alteration on male fertility, and the health of successive generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Deng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sihan Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqian Tang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Science Institute, Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingxin Li
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruijun Xu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Luo
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiling Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Science Institute, Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinzong Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Science Institute, Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuewei Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lim B, Domsch K, Mall M, Lohmann I. Canalizing cell fate by transcriptional repression. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:144-161. [PMID: 38302581 PMCID: PMC10912439 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00014-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Precision in the establishment and maintenance of cellular identities is crucial for the development of multicellular organisms and requires tight regulation of gene expression. While extensive research has focused on understanding cell type-specific gene activation, the complex mechanisms underlying the transcriptional repression of alternative fates are not fully understood. Here, we provide an overview of the repressive mechanisms involved in cell fate regulation. We discuss the molecular machinery responsible for suppressing alternative fates and highlight the crucial role of sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) in this process. Depletion of these TFs can result in unwanted gene expression and increased cellular plasticity. We suggest that these TFs recruit cell type-specific repressive complexes to their cis-regulatory elements, enabling them to modulate chromatin accessibility in a context-dependent manner. This modulation effectively suppresses master regulators of alternative fate programs and their downstream targets. The modularity and dynamic behavior of these repressive complexes enables a limited number of repressors to canalize and maintain major and minor cell fate decisions at different stages of development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryce Lim
- Cell Fate Engineering and Disease Modeling Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- HITBR Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research gGmbH, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Katrin Domsch
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Department of Developmental Biology and Cell Networks - Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Mall
- Cell Fate Engineering and Disease Modeling Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- HITBR Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research gGmbH, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Ingrid Lohmann
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Department of Developmental Biology and Cell Networks - Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang X, Zhu J, Wang H, Deng W, Jiao S, Wang Y, He M, Zhang F, Liu T, Hao Y, Ye D, Sun Y. Induced formation of primordial germ cells from zebrafish blastomeres by germplasm factors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7918. [PMID: 38097571 PMCID: PMC10721796 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43587-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of genome editing and primordial germ cell (PGC) transplantation has enormous significance in the study of developmental biology and genetic breeding, despite its low efficiency due to limited number of donor PGCs. Here, we employ a combination of germplasm factors to convert blastoderm cells into induced PGCs (iPGCs) in zebrafish and obtain functional gametes either through iPGC transplantation or via the single blastomere overexpression of germplasm factors. Zebrafish-derived germplasm factors convert blastula cells of Gobiocypris rarus into iPGCs, and Gobiocypris rarus spermatozoa can be produced by iPGC-transplanted zebrafish. Moreover, the combination of genome knock-in and iPGC transplantation perfectly resolves the contradiction between high knock-in efficiency and early lethality during embryonic stages and greatly improves the efficiency of genome knock-in. Together, we present an efficient method for generating PGCs in a teleost, a technique that will have a strong impact in basic research and aquaculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junwen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Houpeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenqi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shengbo Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yaqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Mudan He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Fenghua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongkang Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ding Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yonghua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Connors CQ, Mauro MS, Tristian Wiles J, Countryman AD, Martin SL, Lacroix B, Shirasu-Hiza M, Dumont J, Kasza KE, Davies TR, Canman JC. Germ fate determinants protect germ precursor cell division by restricting septin and anillin levels at the division plane. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.17.566773. [PMID: 38014027 PMCID: PMC10680835 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.17.566773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Animal cell cytokinesis, or the physical division of one cell into two, is thought to be driven by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring at the division plane. The mechanisms underlying cell type-specific differences in cytokinesis remain unknown. Germ cells are totipotent cells that pass genetic information to the next generation. Previously, using formin cyk-1 (ts) mutant C. elegans embryos, we found that the P2 germ precursor cell is protected from cytokinesis failure and can divide without detectable F-actin at the division plane. Here, we identified two canonical germ fate determinants required for P2-specific cytokinetic protection: PIE-1 and POS-1. Neither has been implicated previously in cytokinesis. These germ fate determinants protect P2 cytokinesis by reducing the accumulation of septin UNC-59 and anillin ANI-1 at the division plane, which here act as negative regulators of cytokinesis. These findings may provide insight into cytokinetic regulation in other cell types, especially in stem cells with high potency.
Collapse
|
11
|
Westerich KJ, Tarbashevich K, Schick J, Gupta A, Zhu M, Hull K, Romo D, Zeuschner D, Goudarzi M, Gross-Thebing T, Raz E. Spatial organization and function of RNA molecules within phase-separated condensates in zebrafish are controlled by Dnd1. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1578-1592.e5. [PMID: 37463577 PMCID: PMC10528888 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Germ granules, condensates of phase-separated RNA and protein, are organelles that are essential for germline development in different organisms. The patterning of the granules and their relevance for germ cell fate are not fully understood. Combining three-dimensional in vivo structural and functional analyses, we study the dynamic spatial organization of molecules within zebrafish germ granules. We find that the localization of RNA molecules to the periphery of the granules, where ribosomes are localized, depends on translational activity at this location. In addition, we find that the vertebrate-specific Dead end (Dnd1) protein is essential for nanos3 RNA localization at the condensates' periphery. Accordingly, in the absence of Dnd1, or when translation is inhibited, nanos3 RNA translocates into the granule interior, away from the ribosomes, a process that is correlated with the loss of germ cell fate. These findings highlight the relevance of sub-granule compartmentalization for post-transcriptional control and its importance for preserving germ cell totipotency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Joana Westerich
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Katsiaryna Tarbashevich
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Jan Schick
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Antra Gupta
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Mingzhao Zhu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Kenneth Hull
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Daniel Romo
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Dagmar Zeuschner
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Mohammad Goudarzi
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Theresa Gross-Thebing
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Erez Raz
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Özcan I, Tursun B. Identifying Molecular Roadblocks for Transcription Factor-Induced Cellular Reprogramming In Vivo by Using C. elegans as a Model Organism. J Dev Biol 2023; 11:37. [PMID: 37754839 PMCID: PMC10531806 DOI: 10.3390/jdb11030037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Generating specialized cell types via cellular transcription factor (TF)-mediated reprogramming has gained high interest in regenerative medicine due to its therapeutic potential to repair tissues and organs damaged by diseases or trauma. Organ dysfunction or improper tissue functioning might be restored by producing functional cells via direct reprogramming, also known as transdifferentiation. Regeneration by converting the identity of available cells in vivo to the desired cell fate could be a strategy for future cell replacement therapies. However, the generation of specific cell types via reprogramming is often restricted due to cell fate-safeguarding mechanisms that limit or even block the reprogramming of the starting cell type. Nevertheless, efficient reprogramming to generate homogeneous cell populations with the required cell type's proper molecular and functional identity is critical. Incomplete reprogramming will lack therapeutic potential and can be detrimental as partially reprogrammed cells may acquire undesired properties and develop into tumors. Identifying and evaluating molecular barriers will improve reprogramming efficiency to reliably establish the target cell identity. In this review, we summarize how using the nematode C. elegans as an in vivo model organism identified molecular barriers of TF-mediated reprogramming. Notably, many identified molecular factors have a high degree of conservation and were subsequently shown to block TF-induced reprogramming of mammalian cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Özcan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Baris Tursun
- Department of Biology, Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wilby EL, Weil TT. Relating the Biogenesis and Function of P Bodies in Drosophila to Human Disease. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1675. [PMID: 37761815 PMCID: PMC10530015 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila has been a premier model organism for over a century and many discoveries in flies have furthered our understanding of human disease. Flies have been successfully applied to many aspects of health-based research spanning from behavioural addiction, to dysplasia, to RNA dysregulation and protein misfolding. Recently, Drosophila tissues have been used to study biomolecular condensates and their role in multicellular systems. Identified in a wide range of plant and animal species, biomolecular condensates are dynamic, non-membrane-bound sub-compartments that have been observed and characterised in the cytoplasm and nuclei of many cell types. Condensate biology has exciting research prospects because of their diverse roles within cells, links to disease, and potential for therapeutics. In this review, we will discuss processing bodies (P bodies), a conserved biomolecular condensate, with a particular interest in how Drosophila can be applied to advance our understanding of condensate biogenesis and their role in disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy T. Weil
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK;
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Westerich KJ, Tarbashevich K, Schick J, Gupta A, Zhu M, Hull K, Romo D, Zeuschner D, Goudarzi M, Gross-Thebing T, Raz E. Spatial organization and function of RNA molecules within phase-separated condensates are controlled by Dnd1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.09.548244. [PMID: 37461638 PMCID: PMC10350045 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.09.548244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Germ granules, condensates of phase-separated RNA and protein, are organelles essential for germline development in different organisms The patterning of the granules and its relevance for germ cell fate are not fully understood. Combining three-dimensional in vivo structural and functional analyses, we study the dynamic spatial organization of molecules within zebrafish germ granules. We find that localization of RNA molecules to the periphery of the granules, where ribosomes are localized depends on translational activity at this location. In addition, we find that the vertebrate-specific Dead end (Dnd1) protein is essential for nanos3 RNA localization at the condensates' periphery. Accordingly, in the absence of Dnd1, or when translation is inhibited, nanos3 RNA translocates into the granule interior, away from the ribosomes, a process that is correlated with loss of germ cell fate. These findings highlight the relevance of sub-granule compartmentalization for posttranscriptional control, and its importance for preserving germ cell totipotency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Joana Westerich
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Katsiaryna Tarbashevich
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Jan Schick
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Antra Gupta
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Mingzhao Zhu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76706, United States
| | - Kenneth Hull
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76706, United States
| | - Daniel Romo
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76706, United States
| | - Dagmar Zeuschner
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Mohammad Goudarzi
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Theresa Gross-Thebing
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Erez Raz
- Institute of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, University of Münster; 48149 Münster, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, 48149 Münster, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hakes AC, Gavis ER. Plasticity of Drosophila germ granules during germ cell development. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002069. [PMID: 37053289 PMCID: PMC10128949 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalization of RNAs and proteins into membraneless structures called granules is a ubiquitous mechanism for organizing and regulating cohorts of RNAs. Germ granules are ribonucleoprotein (RNP) assemblies required for germline development across the animal kingdom, but their regulatory roles in germ cells are not fully understood. We show that after germ cell specification, Drosophila germ granules enlarge through fusion and this growth is accompanied by a shift in function. Whereas germ granules initially protect their constituent mRNAs from degradation, they subsequently target a subset of these mRNAs for degradation while maintaining protection of others. This functional shift occurs through the recruitment of decapping and degradation factors to the germ granules, which is promoted by decapping activators and renders these structures P body-like. Disrupting either the mRNA protection or degradation function results in germ cell migration defects. Our findings reveal plasticity in germ granule function that allows them to be repurposed at different stages of development to ensure population of the gonad by germ cells. Additionally, these results reveal an unexpected level of functional complexity whereby constituent RNAs within the same granule type can be differentially regulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Hakes
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth R Gavis
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Heikes KL, Game M, Smith FW, Goldstein B. The embryonic origin of primordial germ cells in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. Dev Biol 2023; 497:42-58. [PMID: 36893882 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to gametes - cells necessary for the propagation and fertility of diverse organisms. Current understanding of PGC development is limited to the small number of organisms whose PGCs have been identified and studied. Expanding the field to include little-studied taxa and emerging model organisms is important to understand the full breadth of the evolution of PGC development. In the phylum Tardigrada, no early cell lineages have been identified to date using molecular markers. This includes the PGC lineage. Here, we describe PGC development in the model tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. The four earliest-internalizing cells (EICs) exhibit PGC-like behavior and nuclear morphology. The location of the EICs is enriched for mRNAs of conserved PGC markers wiwi1 (water bear piwi 1) and vasa. At early stages, both wiwi1 and vasa mRNAs are detectable uniformly in embryos, which suggests that these mRNAs do not serve as localized determinants for PGC specification. Only later are wiwi1 and vasa enriched in the EICs. Finally, we traced the cells that give rise to the four PGCs. Our results reveal the embryonic origin of the PGCs of H. exemplaris and provide the first molecular characterization of an early cell lineage in the tardigrade phylum. We anticipate that these observations will serve as a basis for characterizing the mechanisms of PGC development in this animal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kira L Heikes
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mandy Game
- Biology Department, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Frank W Smith
- Biology Department, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Bob Goldstein
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ichikawa K, Horiuchi H. Fate Decisions of Chicken Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs): Development, Integrity, Sex Determination, and Self-Renewal Mechanisms. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030612. [PMID: 36980885 PMCID: PMC10048776 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are precursor cells of sperm and eggs. The fate decisions of chicken PGCs in terms of their development, integrity, and sex determination have unique features, thereby providing insights into evolutionary developmental biology. Additionally, fate decisions in the context of a self-renewal mechanism have been applied to establish culture protocols for chicken PGCs, enabling the production of genome-edited chickens and the conservation of genetic resources. Thus, studies on the fate decisions of chicken PGCs have significantly contributed to both academic and industrial development. Furthermore, studies on fate decisions have rapidly advanced owing to the recent development of essential research technologies, such as genome editing and RNA sequencing. Here, we reviewed the status of fate decisions of chicken PGCs and provided insight into other important research issues that require attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kennosuke Ichikawa
- Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Hiroyuki Horiuchi
- Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8528, Hiroshima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Heikes KL, Game M, Smith FW, Goldstein B. The Embryonic Origin of Primordial Germ Cells in the Tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.02.522500. [PMID: 36824831 PMCID: PMC9948961 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.02.522500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to gametes â€" cells necessary for the propagation and fertility of diverse organisms. Current understanding of PGC development is limited to the small number of organisms whose PGCs have been identified and studied. Expanding the field to include little-studied taxa and emerging model organisms is important to understand the full breadth of the evolution of PGC development. In the phylum Tardigrada, no early cell lineages have been identified to date using molecular markers. This includes the PGC lineage. Here, we describe PGC development in the model tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris . The four earliest-internalizing cells (EICs) exhibit PGC-like behavior and nuclear morphology. The location of the EICs is enriched for mRNAs of conserved PGC markers wiwi1 (water bear piwi 1) and vasa . At early stages, both wiwi1 and vasa mRNAs are detectable uniformly in embryos, which suggests that these mRNAs do not serve as localized determinants for PGC specification. Only later are wiwi1 and vasa enriched in the EICs. Finally, we traced the cells that give rise to the four PGCs. Our results reveal the embryonic origin of the PGCs of H. exemplaris and provide the first molecular characterization of an early cell lineage in the tardigrade phylum. We anticipate that these observations will serve as a basis for characterizing the mechanisms of PGC development in this animal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kira L. Heikes
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mandy Game
- Biology Department, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Frank W. Smith
- Biology Department, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Bob Goldstein
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Gleason RJ, Chen X. Epigenetic dynamics during germline development: insights from Drosophila and C. elegans. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 78:102017. [PMID: 36549194 PMCID: PMC10100592 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.102017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gametogenesis produces the only cell type within a metazoan that contributes both genetic and epigenetic information to the offspring. Extensive epigenetic dynamics are required to express or repress gene expression in a precise spatiotemporal manner. On the other hand, early embryos must be extensively reprogrammed as they begin a new life cycle, involving intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Seminal work in both Drosophila and C. elegans has elucidated the role of various regulators of epigenetic inheritance, including (1) histones, (2) histone-modifying enzymes, and (3) small RNA-dependent epigenetic regulation in the maintenance of germline identity. This review highlights recent discoveries of epigenetic regulation during the stepwise changes of transcription and chromatin structure that takes place during germline stem cell self-renewal, maintenance of germline identity, and intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Findings from these two species provide precedence and opportunity to extend relevant studies to vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Gleason
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- HHMI, Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thomas L, Putnam A, Folkmann A. Germ granules in development. Development 2023; 150:286764. [PMID: 36715566 PMCID: PMC10165536 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
A hallmark of all germ cells is the presence of germ granules: assemblies of proteins and RNA that lack a delineating membrane and are proposed to form via condensation. Germ granules across organisms share several conserved components, including factors required for germ cell fate determination and maintenance, and are thought to be linked to germ cell development. The molecular functions of germ granules, however, remain incompletely understood. In this Development at a Glance article, we survey germ granules across organisms and developmental stages, and highlight emerging themes regarding granule regulation, dynamics and proposed functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Thomas
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrea Putnam
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrew Folkmann
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Truszkowski L, Batur D, Long H, Tarbashevich K, Vos BE, Trappmann B, Raz E. Primordial germ cells adjust their protrusion type while migrating in different tissue contexts in vivo. Development 2023; 150:286614. [PMID: 36515556 PMCID: PMC10110502 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In both physiological processes and disease contexts, migrating cells have the ability to adapt to conditions in their environment. As an in vivo model for this process, we use zebrafish primordial germ cells that migrate throughout the developing embryo. When migrating within an ectodermal environment, the germ cells form fewer and smaller blebs when compared with their behavior within mesodermal environment. We find that cortical tension of neighboring cells is a parameter that affects blebbing frequency. Interestingly, the change in blebbing activity is accompanied by the formation of more actin-rich protrusions. These alterations in cell behavior that correlate with changes in RhoA activity could allow the cells to maintain dynamic motility parameters, such as migration speed and track straightness, in different settings. In addition, we find that the polarity of the cells can be affected by stiff structures positioned in their migration path This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Truszkowski
- Institute of Cell Biology, ZMBE, University of Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Dilek Batur
- Institute of Cell Biology, ZMBE, University of Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Hongyan Long
- Bioactive Materials Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | | | - Bart E Vos
- Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, Georg August University Göttingen, D-37007 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Britta Trappmann
- Bioactive Materials Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Erez Raz
- Institute of Cell Biology, ZMBE, University of Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Colonnetta MM, Schedl P, Deshpande G. Germline/soma distinction in Drosophila embryos requires regulators of zygotic genome activation. eLife 2023; 12:78188. [PMID: 36598809 PMCID: PMC9812407 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster embryos, somatic versus germline identity is the first cell fate decision. Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) orchestrates regionalized gene expression, imparting specific identity on somatic cells. ZGA begins with a minor wave that commences at nuclear cycle (NC)8 under the guidance of chromatin accessibility factors (Zelda, CLAMP, GAF), followed by the major wave during NC14. By contrast, primordial germ cell (PGC) specification requires maternally deposited and posteriorly anchored germline determinants. This is accomplished by a centrosome coordinated release and sequestration of germ plasm during the precocious cellularization of PGCs in NC10. Here, we report a novel requirement for Zelda and CLAMP during the establishment of the germline/soma distinction. When their activity is compromised, PGC determinants are not properly sequestered, and specification is disrupted. Conversely, the spreading of PGC determinants from the posterior pole adversely influences transcription in the neighboring somatic nuclei. These reciprocal aberrations can be correlated with defects in centrosome duplication/separation that are known to induce inappropriate transmission of the germ plasm. Interestingly, consistent with the ability of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling to influence specification of embryonic PGCs, reduction in the transcript levels of a BMP family ligand, decapentaplegic (dpp), is exacerbated at the posterior pole.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Colonnetta
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Paul Schedl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Girish Deshpande
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ma Z, Zhang F, Xiong J, Zhang H, Lin HK, Liu C. Activation of embryonic/germ cell-like axis links poor outcomes of gliomas. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:371. [DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02792-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
It is unclear which core events drive the malignant progression of gliomas. Earlier studies have revealed that the embryonic stem (ES) cell/early PGC state is associated with tumourigenicity. This study was designed to investigate the role of ES/PGC state in poor outcomes of gliomas.
Methods
Crispr-Cas9 technology, RT–PCR and animal experiments were used to investigate whether PGC-like cell formation play crucial roles in the tumorigenicity of human glioma cells. Bioinformatic analysis was used to address the link between ES/PGC developmental axis and glioma overall outcomes.
Results
Here, our findings showed that germ cell-like cells were present in human gliomas and cultured glioma cells and that the formation of germ cell-like cells was essential for glioma tumours. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the mRNA levels of genes related to embryonic/germ cell development could be detected in most gliomas. Our findings showed that the activation of genes related to reprogramming or the germ cell-like state alone seemed to be insufficient to lead to a malignant prognosis, whereas increased mRNA levels of genes related to the activation of the embryonic/germ cell-like cycle (somatic PGC-EGC-like cycle and somatic parthenogenetic embryo-like cycle) were positively correlated with malignant prognoses and poor clinical outcomes of gliomas. Genes related to the embryonic/germ cell cycle alone or in combination with the WHO grade or 1p19q codeletion status could be used to subdivide gliomas with distinct clinical behaviours.
Conclusion
Together, our findings indicated that a crucial role of germ cell-like cell formation in glioma initiation as well as activation of genes related with the parthenogenetic embryo-like cycle and PGC-EGC-like cycle link to the malignant prognosis and poor outcomes of gliomas, which might provide a novel way to better understand the nature of and develop targeted therapies for gliomas as well as important markers for predicting clinical outcomes in gliomas.
Collapse
|
24
|
Oyewale TD, Eckmann CR. Germline immortality relies on TRIM32-mediated turnover of a maternal mRNA activator in C. elegans. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn0897. [PMID: 36240265 PMCID: PMC9565796 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn0897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
How the germ line achieves a clean transition from maternal to zygotic gene expression control is a fundamental problem in sexually reproducing organisms. Whereas several mechanisms terminate the maternal program in the soma, this combined molecular reset and handover are poorly understood for primordial germ cells (PGCs). Here, we show that GRIF-1, a TRIM32-related and presumed E3 ubiquitin ligase in Caenorhabditis elegans, eliminates the maternal cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase (cytoPAP) complex by targeting the germline-specific intrinsically disordered region of its enzymatic subunit, GLD-2, for proteasome-mediated degradation. Interference with cytoPAP turnover in PGCs causes frequent transgenerational sterility and, eventually, germline mortality. Hence, positively acting maternal RNA regulators are cleared via the proteasome system to avoid likely interference between maternal and zygotic gene expression programs to maintain transgenerational fertility and acquire germline immortality. This strategy is likely used in all animals that preform their immortal germ line via maternally inherited germplasm determinants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tosin D. Oyewale
- Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Christian R. Eckmann
- Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cockrum CS, Strome S. Maternal H3K36 and H3K27 HMTs protect germline development via regulation of the transcription factor LIN-15B. eLife 2022; 11:77951. [PMID: 35920536 PMCID: PMC9348848 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternally synthesized products play critical roles in the development of offspring. A premier example is the Caenorhabditis elegans H3K36 methyltransferase MES-4, which is essential for germline survival and development in offspring. How maternal MES-4 protects the germline is not well understood, but its role in H3K36 methylation hinted that it may regulate gene expression in primordial germ cells (PGCs). We tested this hypothesis by profiling transcripts from nascent germlines (PGCs and their descendants) dissected from wild-type and mes-4 mutant (lacking maternal and zygotic MES-4) larvae. mes-4 nascent germlines displayed downregulation of some germline genes, upregulation of some somatic genes, and dramatic upregulation of hundreds of genes on the X chromosome. We demonstrated that upregulation of one or more genes on the X is the cause of germline death by generating and analyzing mes-4 mutants that inherited different endowments of X chromosome(s). Intriguingly, removal of the THAP transcription factor LIN-15B from mes-4 mutants reduced X misexpression and prevented germline death. lin-15B is X-linked and misexpressed in mes-4 PGCs, identifying it as a critical target for MES-4 repression. The above findings extend to the H3K27 methyltransferase MES-2/3/6, the C. elegans version of polycomb repressive complex 2. We propose that maternal MES-4 and PRC2 cooperate to protect germline survival by preventing synthesis of germline-toxic products encoded by genes on the X chromosome, including the key transcription factor LIN-15B.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad Steven Cockrum
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, United States
| | - Susan Strome
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Rostam N, Goloborodko A, Riemer S, Hertel A, Riedel D, Vorbrüggen G, Dosch R. The germ plasm is anchored at the cleavage furrows through interaction with tight junctions in the early zebrafish embryo. Development 2022; 149:275789. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The zebrafish germline is specified during early embryogenesis by inherited maternal RNAs and proteins collectively called germ plasm. Only the cells containing germ plasm will become part of the germline, whereas the other cells will commit to somatic cell fates. Therefore, proper localization of germ plasm is key for germ cell specification and its removal is crucial for the development of the soma. The molecular mechanism underlying this process in vertebrates is largely unknown. Here, we show that germ plasm localization in zebrafish is similar to that in Xenopus but distinct from Drosophila. We identified non muscle myosin II (NMII) and tight junction (TJ) components, such as ZO2 and claudin-d (Cldn-d) as interaction candidates of Bucky ball (Buc), which is the germ plasm organizer in zebrafish. Remarkably, we also found that TJ protein ZO1 colocalizes with germ plasm, and electron microscopy of zebrafish embryos uncovered TJ-like structures at the cleavage furrows where the germ plasm is anchored. In addition, injection of the TJ receptor Cldn-d produced extra germ plasm aggregates, whereas expression of a dominant-negative version inhibited germ plasm aggregate formation. Our findings support for the first time a role for TJs in germ plasm localization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Rostam
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center 1 , 37073 Göttingen , Germany
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen 2 Department of Developmental Biology , , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Alexander Goloborodko
- Institute for Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center 3 , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Stephan Riemer
- Institute for Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center 3 , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Andres Hertel
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry 4 Department of Molecular Developmental Biology , , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Dietmar Riedel
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry 5 Laboratory of Electron Microscopy , , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Gerd Vorbrüggen
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen 2 Department of Developmental Biology , , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry 4 Department of Molecular Developmental Biology , , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Roland Dosch
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center 1 , 37073 Göttingen , Germany
- Institute for Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center 3 , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
A Krüppel-like factor is required for development and regeneration of germline and yolk cells from somatic stem cells in planarians. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001472. [PMID: 35839223 PMCID: PMC9286257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually reproducing animals segregate their germline from their soma. In addition to gamete-producing gonads, planarian and parasitic flatworm reproduction relies on yolk cell–generating accessory reproductive organs (vitellaria) supporting development of yolkless oocytes. Despite the importance of vitellaria for flatworm reproduction (and parasite transmission), little is known about this unique evolutionary innovation. Here, we examine reproductive system development in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, in which pluripotent stem cells generate both somatic and germ cell lineages. We show that a homolog of the pluripotency factor Klf4 is expressed in primordial germ cells (PGCs), presumptive germline stem cells (GSCs), and yolk cell progenitors. Knockdown of this klf4-like (klf4l) gene results in animals that fail to specify or maintain germ cells; surprisingly, they also fail to maintain yolk cells. We find that yolk cells display germ cell–like attributes and that vitellaria are structurally analogous to gonads. In addition to identifying a new proliferative cell population in planarians (yolk cell progenitors) and defining its niche, our work provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that flatworm germ cells and yolk cells share a common evolutionary origin.
Collapse
|
28
|
Sawh AN, Mango SE. Chromosome organization in 4D: insights from C. elegans development. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 75:101939. [PMID: 35759905 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genome organization is ordered and multilayered, from the nucleosome to chromosomal scales. These layers are not static during development, but are remodeled over time and between tissues. Thus, animal model studies with high spatiotemporal resolution are necessary to understand the various forms and functions of genome organization in vivo. In C. elegans, sequencing- and imaging-based advances have provided insight on how histone modifications, regulatory elements, and large-scale chromosome conformations are established and changed. Recent observations include unexpected physiological roles for topologically associating domains, different roles for the nuclear lamina at different chromatin scales, cell-type-specific enhancer and promoter regulatory grammars, and prevalent compartment variability in early development. Here, we summarize these and other recent findings in C. elegans, and suggest future avenues of research to enrich our in vivo knowledge of the forms and functions of nuclear organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahilya N Sawh
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.
| | - Susan E Mango
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Vasa Is a Potential Germ Cell Marker in Leopard Coral Grouper ( Plectropomus leopardus). Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13061077. [PMID: 35741839 PMCID: PMC9222667 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Vasa (Ddx4, DEAD box polypeptide 4), an extremely specific marker of germ cells in vivo, is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that plays an essential role in germ cell development and gametogenesis. However, the expression and function information about this gene in groupers remains lacking. Here, vasa homolog termed Plvasa was isolated and identified Plvasa as a putative germ cell marker in the leopard coral grouper, (Plectropomus leopardus). Results indicated that Plvasa contained 17 exons in the genomic sequence and 9 conserved motifs of the DEAD-box protein by sequence analysis. The sequence comparison, phylogenetic analyses and synteny analyses showed that Plvasa was homologous with other teleosts. Additionally, the expression of Plvasa was significantly higher in gonads than in other tissues in adult individuals (p < 0.05). Further, the distribution of Plvasa revealed that it was only expressed in the germ cells, such as spermatids, germline stem cells and oocytes at different stages, and could not be detected in the somatic cells of gonads. The current study verified that the Plvasa gene is a valuable molecular marker of germ cells in leopard coral grouper, which potentially plays an important role in investigating the genesis and development of teleost germ cells.
Collapse
|
30
|
Marnik EA, Almeida MV, Cipriani PG, Chung G, Caspani E, Karaulanov E, Gan HH, Zinno J, Isolehto IJ, Kielisch F, Butter F, Sharp CS, Flanagan RM, Bonnet FX, Piano F, Ketting RF, Gunsalus KC, Updike DL. The Caenorhabditis elegans TDRD5/7-like protein, LOTR-1, interacts with the helicase ZNFX-1 to balance epigenetic signals in the germline. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010245. [PMID: 35657999 PMCID: PMC9200344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
LOTUS and Tudor domain containing proteins have critical roles in the germline. Proteins that contain these domains, such as Tejas/Tapas in Drosophila, help localize the Vasa helicase to the germ granules and facilitate piRNA-mediated transposon silencing. The homologous proteins in mammals, TDRD5 and TDRD7, are required during spermiogenesis. Until now, proteins containing both LOTUS and Tudor domains in Caenorhabditis elegans have remained elusive. Here we describe LOTR-1 (D1081.7), which derives its name from its LOTUS and Tudor domains. Interestingly, LOTR-1 docks next to P granules to colocalize with the broadly conserved Z-granule helicase, ZNFX-1. The Tudor domain of LOTR-1 is required for its Z-granule retention. Like znfx-1 mutants, lotr-1 mutants lose small RNAs from the 3’ ends of WAGO and mutator targets, reminiscent of the loss of piRNAs from the 3’ ends of piRNA precursor transcripts in mouse Tdrd5 mutants. Our work shows that LOTR-1 acts with ZNFX-1 to bring small RNA amplifying mechanisms towards the 3’ ends of its RNA templates. Germ granules are protein and RNA complexes that are critical for maintaining an animal’s fertility. Central to the composition of germ granules are their small RNAs, which have the capacity to convey a memory of germline-licensed expression from one generation to the next. Here we describe and characterize a new germ-granule protein in C. elegans that we’ve named LOTR-1, after its LOTUS and Tudor domains. This combination of LOTUS and Tudor domains can be found in the mammalian proteins TDRD5 and TDRD7, which are required during spermatogenesis. During C. elegans embryogenesis, germ granules demix or partition into subgranules with refined functions. We show that LOTR-1 partitions with a specific class of subgranules called Z granules, interacting with a Z-granule helicase called ZNFX-1. Here, LOTR-1 functions with ZNFX-1 to position small RNA amplification from RNA templates, ensuring a memory of germline expression across generations. These findings may provide new insight into the function of TDRD5 and TDRD7 during human germline development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth A. Marnik
- The MDI Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States of America
- Husson University, Bangor, Maine, United States of America
| | - Miguel V. Almeida
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
- International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics & Genome Stability, Mainz, Germany
| | - P. Giselle Cipriani
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - George Chung
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Edoardo Caspani
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
- International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics & Genome Stability, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Hin Hark Gan
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - John Zinno
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ida J. Isolehto
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
- International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics & Genome Stability, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Catherine S. Sharp
- The MDI Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States of America
| | - Roisin M. Flanagan
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Frederic X. Bonnet
- The MDI Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States of America
| | - Fabio Piano
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - René F. Ketting
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail: (RFK); (KCG); (DLU)
| | - Kristin C. Gunsalus
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- * E-mail: (RFK); (KCG); (DLU)
| | - Dustin L. Updike
- The MDI Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States of America
- * E-mail: (RFK); (KCG); (DLU)
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Liu C, Moten A, Ma Z, Lin HK. The foundational framework of tumors: Gametogenesis, p53, and cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 81:193-205. [PMID: 33940178 PMCID: PMC9382687 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The completion-of-tumor hypothesis involved in the dynamic interplay between the initiating oncogenic event and progression is essential to better recognize the foundational framework of tumors. Here we review and extend the gametogenesis-related hypothesis of tumors, because high embryonic/germ cell traits are common in tumors. The century-old gametogenesis-related hypothesis of tumors postulated that tumors arise from displaced/activated trophoblasts, displaced (lost) germ cells, and the reprogramming/reactivation of gametogenic program in somatic cells. Early primordial germ cells (PGCs), embryonic stem (ES) cells, embryonic germ cells (EGCs), and pre-implantation embryos at the stage from two-cell stage to blastocysts originating from fertilization or parthenogenesis have the potential to develop teratomas/teratocarcinomas. In addition, the teratomas/teratocarcinomas/germ cells occur in gonads and extra-gonads. Undoubtedly, the findings provide strong support for the hypothesis. However, it was thought that these tumor types were an exception rather than verification. In fact, there are extensive similarities between somatic tumor types and embryonic/germ cell development, such as antigens, migration, invasion, and immune escape. It was documented that embryonic/germ cell genes play crucial roles in tumor behaviors, e.g. tumor initiation and metastasis. Of note, embryonic/germ cell-like tumor cells at different developmental stages including PGC and oocyte to the early embryo-like stage were identified in diverse tumor types by our group. These embryonic/germ cell-like cancer cells resemble the natural embryonic/germ cells in morphology, gene expression, the capability of teratoma formation, and the ability to undergo the process of oocyte maturation and parthenogenesis. These embryonic/germ cell-like cancer cells are derived from somatic cells and contribute to tumor formation, metastasis, and drug resistance, establishing asexual meiotic embryonic life cycle. p53 inhibits the reactivation of embryonic/germ cell state in somatic cells and oocyte-like cell maturation. Based on earlier and our recent studies, we propose a novel model to complete the gametogenesis-related hypothesis of tumors, which can be applied to certain somatic tumors. That is, tumors tend to establish a somatic asexual meiotic embryonic cycle through the activation of somatic female gametogenesis and parthenogenesis in somatic tumor cells during the tumor progression, thus passing on corresponding embryonic/germ cell traits leading to the malignant behaviors and enhancing the cells' independence. This concept may be instrumental to better understand the nature and evolution of tumors. We rationalize that targeting the key events of somatic pregnancy is likely a better therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment than directly targeting cell mitotic proliferation, especially for those tumors with p53 inactivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunfang Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| | - Asad Moten
- Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Zhan Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Hui-Kuan Lin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Rodriguez-Crespo D, Nanchen M, Rajopadhye S, Wicky C. The zinc-finger transcription factor LSL-1 is a major regulator of the germline transcriptional program in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2022; 221:iyac039. [PMID: 35262739 PMCID: PMC9071529 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific gene transcriptional programs are required to ensure the proper proliferation and differentiation processes underlying the production of specialized cells during development. Gene activity is mainly regulated by the concerted action of transcription factors and chromatin proteins. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, mechanisms that silence improper transcriptional programs in germline and somatic cells have been well studied, however, how are tissue-specific sets of genes turned on is less known. LSL-1 is herein defined as a novel crucial transcriptional regulator of germline genes in C. elegans. LSL-1 is first detected in the P4 blastomere and remains present at all stages of germline development, from primordial germ cell proliferation to the end of meiotic prophase. lsl-1 loss-of-function mutants exhibit many defects including meiotic prophase progression delay, a high level of germline apoptosis, and production of almost no functional gametes. Transcriptomic analysis and ChIP-seq data show that LSL-1 binds to promoters and acts as a transcriptional activator of germline genes involved in various processes, including homologous chromosome pairing, recombination, and genome stability. Furthermore, we show that LSL-1 functions by antagonizing the action of the heterochromatin proteins HPL-2/HP1 and LET-418/Mi2 known to be involved in the repression of germline genes in somatic cells. Based on our results, we propose LSL-1 to be a major regulator of the germline transcriptional program during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Magali Nanchen
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Shweta Rajopadhye
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Wicky
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ko CF, Chang YC, Cho HC, Yu J. The Puf-A Protein Is Required for Primordial Germ Cell Development. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091476. [PMID: 35563782 PMCID: PMC9105799 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Puf-A, a nucleolar Puf domain protein, is required for ribosome biogenesis. A study of Puf-A in zebrafish has shown that Puf-A is highly expressed in primordial germ cells (PGCs) and participates in PGC development. However, it remains unclear how Puf-A governs PGC development in mammals. Here, we generated transgenic mice carrying inducible Puf-A shRNA and obtained double heterozygous mice with Puf-A shRNA and Oct4-EGFP to examine the behavior of PGCs. It was found that the knockdown of Puf-A led to the loss of a considerable number of PGCs and a slowdown of the movement of the remaining PGCs. Puf-A and NPM1 colocalized in clusters in the nuclei of the PGCs. The silencing of Puf-A resulted in the translocation of NPM1 from nucleolus to nucleoplasm and the hyperactivation of p53 in the PGCs. The PGCs in Puf-A knockdown embryos showed a significant increase in subpopulations of PGCs at G1 arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, the expression of essential genes associated with PGC maintenance was decreased in the Puf-A knockdown PGCs. Our study showed that Puf-A governed PGC development by regulating the growth, survival, and maintenance of PGCs. We also observed the alterations of NPM1 and p53 upon Puf-A knockdown to be consistent with the previous study in cancer cells, which might explain the molecular mechanism for the role of Puf-A in PGC development.
Collapse
|
34
|
Rcor2 Is Required for Somatic Differentiation and Represses Germline Cell Fate. Stem Cells Int 2022; 2022:5283615. [PMID: 35345626 PMCID: PMC8957467 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5283615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rcor2, the corepressor 2 of REST, a transcriptional repressor, is predominantly expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and plays a major role in regulating ESC pluripotency and neurogenesis. The function of Rcor2 in development of other germ layers is yet unclear. We utilized a Rcor2-/- mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) line to investigate the role of Rcor2 in mESC differentiation. Rcor2-/- mESC shows reduced proliferation and severely compromised capacity to differentiate to all three germ layers. In contrast, Rcor2 knockout promotes primordial germ cells (PGCs) specific gene expression and possibly PGC formation. Mechanistically, we revealed that Rcor2 inhibits expression of genes required for PGC development, such as Dppa3 and Dazl, by associating to their promoters and enhancing local suppressive H3K9me3 modifications. Our results suggest that Rcor2 plays an important role in somatic cell fate determination by suppressing PGC differentiation through regulating epigenetic modifications of PGC specific genes.
Collapse
|
35
|
Perillo M, Swartz SZ, Wessel GM. A conserved node in the regulation of Vasa between an induced and an inherited program of primordial germ cell specification. Dev Biol 2022; 482:28-33. [PMID: 34863708 PMCID: PMC8761175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are specified by diverse mechanisms in early development. In some animals, PGCs are specified via inheritance of maternal determinants, while in others, in a process thought to represent the ancestral mode, PGC fate is induced by cell interactions. Although the terminal factors expressed in specified germ cells are widely conserved, the mechanisms by which these factors are regulated can be widely diverse. Here we show that a post-translational mechanism of germ cell specification is conserved between two echinoderm species thought to employ divergent germ line segregation strategies. Sea urchins segregate their germ line early by an inherited mechanism. The DEAD-box RNA - helicase Vasa, a conserved germline factor, becomes enriched in the PGCs by degradation in future somatic cells by the E3-ubiquitin-ligase Gustavus (Gustafson et al., 2011). This post-translational activity occurs early in development, substantially prior to gastrulation. Here we test this process in germ cell specification of sea star embryos, which use inductive signaling mechanisms after gastrulation for PGC fate determination. We find that Vasa-GFP protein becomes restricted to the PGCs in the sea star even though the injected mRNA is present throughout the embryo. Gustavus depletion, however, results in uniform accumulation of the protein. These data demonstrate that Gustavus-mediated Vasa turnover in somatic cells is conserved between species with otherwise divergent PGC specification mechanisms. Since Gustavus was originally identified in Drosophila melanogaster to have similar functions in Vasa regulation (Kugler et al., 2010), we conclude that this node of Vasa regulation in PGC formation is ancestral and evolutionarily transposable from the ancestral, induced PGC specification program to an inherited PGC specification mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Perillo
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - S Zachary Swartz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Xu C, Cao Y, Bao J. Building RNA-protein germ granules: insights from the multifaceted functions of DEAD-box helicase Vasa/Ddx4 in germline development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 79:4. [PMID: 34921622 PMCID: PMC11072811 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04069-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The segregation and maintenance of a dedicated germline in multicellular organisms is essential for species propagation in the sexually reproducing metazoan kingdom. The germline is distinct from somatic cells in that it is ultimately dedicated to acquiring the "totipotency" and to regenerating the offspring after fertilization. The most striking feature of germ cells lies in the presence of characteristic membraneless germ granules that have recently proven to behave like liquid droplets resulting from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Vasa/Ddx4, a faithful DEAD-box family germline marker highly conserved across metazoan species, harbors canonical DEAD-box motifs and typical intrinsically disordered sequences at both the N-terminus and C-terminus. This feature enables it to serve as a primary driving force behind germ granule formation and helicase-mediated RNA metabolism (e.g., piRNA biogenesis). Genetic ablation of Vasa/Ddx4 or the catalytic-dead mutations abolishing its helicase activity led to sexually dimorphic germline defects resulting in either male or female sterility among diverse species. While recent efforts have discovered pivotal functions of Vasa/Ddx4 in somatic cells, especially in multipotent stem cells, we herein summarize the helicase-dependent and -independent functions of Vasa/Ddx4 in the germline, and discuss recent findings of Vasa/Ddx4-mediated phase separation, germ granule formation and piRNA-dependent retrotransposon control essential for germline development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caoling Xu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Anhui, China
| | - Yuzhu Cao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Anhui, China
| | - Jianqiang Bao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Anhui, China.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Marchal I, Tursun B. Induced Neurons From Germ Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:771687. [PMID: 34924939 PMCID: PMC8678065 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.771687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell fate conversion by the forced overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) is a process known as reprogramming. It leads to de-differentiation or trans-differentiation of mature cells, which could then be used for regenerative medicine applications to replenish patients suffering from, e.g., neurodegenerative diseases, with healthy neurons. However, TF-induced reprogramming is often restricted due to cell fate safeguarding mechanisms, which require a better understanding to increase reprogramming efficiency and achieve higher fidelity. The germline of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been a powerful model to investigate the impediments of generating neurons from germ cells by reprogramming. A number of conserved factors have been identified that act as a barrier for TF-induced direct reprogramming of germ cells to neurons. In this review, we will first summarize our current knowledge regarding cell fate safeguarding mechanisms in the germline. Then, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal induction from germ cells upon TF-mediated reprogramming. We will shortly discuss the specific characteristics that might make germ cells especially fit to change cellular fate and become neurons. For future perspectives, we will look at the potential of C. elegans research in advancing our knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate cellular identity, and what implications this has for therapeutic approaches such as regenerative medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Marchal
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Baris Tursun
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Nishida H, Matsuo M, Konishi S, Ohno N, Manni L, Onuma TA. Germline development during embryogenesis of the larvacean, Oikopleura dioica. Dev Biol 2021; 481:188-200. [PMID: 34755656 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Germ cells develop into eggs and sperms and represent a lineage that survives through multiple generations. Germ cell specification during embryogenesis proceeds through one of two basic modes: either the cell-autonomous mode or the inductive mode. In the cell-autonomous mode, specification of germ cell fate involves asymmetric partitioning of the specialized maternal cytoplasm, known as the germplasm. Oikopleura dioica is a larvacean (class Appendicularia) and a chordate. It is regarded as a promising animal model for studying chordate development because of its short life cycle (5 days) and small genome size (∼60 Mb). We show that their embryos possess germplasm, as observed in ascidians (class Ascidiacea). The vegetal cytoplasm shifted towards the future posterior pole before the first cleavage occurred. A bilateral pair of primordial germ cells (PGC, B11 cells) was formed at the posterior pole at the 32-cell stage through two rounds of unequal cleavage. These B11 cells did not undergo further division before hatching of the tadpole-shaped larvae. The centrosome-attracting body (CAB) is a subcellular structure that contains the germplasm and plays crucial roles in germ cell development in ascidians. The presence of CAB with germplasm was observed in the germline lineage cells of larvaceans via electron microscopy and using extracted embryos. The CAB appeared at the 8-cell stage and persisted until the middle stage of embryogenesis. The antigen for the phosphorylated histone 3 antibody was localized to the CAB and persisted in the PGC until hatching after the CAB disappeared. Maternal snail mRNA, which encodes a transcription factor, was co-localized with the antigen for the H3S28p antibody. Furthermore, we found a novel PGC-specific subcellular structure that we call the germ body (GB). This study thus highlights the conserved and non-conserved features of germline development between ascidians and larvaceans. The rapid development and short life cycle (five days) of O. dioica would open the way to genetically analyze germ cell development in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Masaki Matsuo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Shohei Konishi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Ohno
- Division of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8787, Japan; Division of Histology and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Lucia Manni
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, I-35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Takeshi A Onuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hansen CL, Chamberlain TJ, Trevena RL, Kurek JE, Pelegri F. Conserved germ plasm characteristics across the Danio and Devario lineages. Genesis 2021; 59:e23452. [PMID: 34617657 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In many animal species, germ cell specification requires the inheritance of germ plasm, a biomolecular condensate containing maternally derived RNAs and proteins. Most studies of germ plasm composition and function have been performed in widely evolutionarily divergent model organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, Xenopus laevis, and Danio rerio (zebrafish). In zebrafish, 12 RNAs localize to germ plasm at the furrows of the early embryo. Here, we tested for the presence of these RNAs in three additional species within the Danionin clade: Danio kyathit, Danio albolineatus, and Devario aequipinnatus. By visualizing nanos RNA, we find that germ plasm segregation patterns during early embryogenesis are conserved across these species. Ten additional germ plasm RNAs exhibit localization at the furrows of early embryos in all three non-zebrafish Danionin species, consistent with germ plasm localization. One component of zebrafish germ plasm, ca15b, lacked specific localization in embryos of the more distantly related D. aequipinnatus. Our findings show that within a subset of closely related Danionin species, the vast majority of germ plasm RNA components are conserved. At the same time, the lack of ca15b localization in D. aequipinnatus germ plasm highlights the potential for the divergence of germ plasm composition across a restricted phylogenetic space.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina L Hansen
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Trevor J Chamberlain
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ryan L Trevena
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jacob E Kurek
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Francisco Pelegri
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Hansen CL, Pelegri F. Primordial Germ Cell Specification in Vertebrate Embryos: Phylogenetic Distribution and Conserved Molecular Features of Preformation and Induction. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:730332. [PMID: 34604230 PMCID: PMC8481613 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.730332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) occurs during early embryonic development and is critical for the survival and fitness of sexually reproducing species. Here, we review the two main mechanisms of PGC specification, induction, and preformation, in the context of four model vertebrate species: mouse, axolotl, Xenopus frogs, and zebrafish. We additionally discuss some notable molecular characteristics shared across PGC specification pathways, including the shared expression of products from three conserved germline gene families, DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia) genes, nanos-related genes, and DEAD-box RNA helicases. Then, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the distribution of germ cell determination systems across kingdom Animalia, with particular attention to vertebrate species, but include several categories of invertebrates - ranging from the "proto-vertebrate" cephalochordates to arthropods, cnidarians, and ctenophores. We also briefly highlight ongoing investigations and potential lines of inquiry that aim to understand the evolutionary relationships between these modes of specification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco Pelegri
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Bauer J, Poupart V, Goupil E, Nguyen KCQ, Hall DH, Labbé JC. The initial expansion of the C. elegans syncytial germ line is coupled to incomplete primordial germ cell cytokinesis. Development 2021; 148:dev199633. [PMID: 34195824 PMCID: PMC8327289 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The C. elegans germline is organized as a syncytium in which each germ cell possesses an intercellular bridge that is maintained by a stable actomyosin ring and connected to a common pool of cytoplasm, termed the rachis. How germ cells undergo cytokinesis while maintaining this syncytial architecture is not completely understood. Here, we use live imaging to characterize primordial germ cell (PGC) division in C. elegans first-stage larvae. We show that each PGC possesses a stable intercellular bridge that connects it to a common pool of cytoplasm, which we term the proto-rachis. We further show that the first PGC cytokinesis is incomplete and that the stabilized cytokinetic ring progressively moves towards the proto-rachis and eventually integrates with it. Our results support a model in which the initial expansion of the C. elegans syncytial germline occurs by incomplete cytokinesis, where one daughter germ cell inherits the actomyosin ring that was newly formed by stabilization of the cytokinetic ring, while the other inherits the pre-existing stable actomyosin ring. We propose that such a mechanism of iterative cytokinesis incompletion underpins C. elegans germline expansion and maintenance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jack Bauer
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Vincent Poupart
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Eugénie Goupil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Ken C. Q. Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - David H. Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jean-Claude Labbé
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Auboeuf D. The Physics-Biology continuum challenges darwinism: Evolution is directed by the homeostasis-dependent bidirectional relation between genome and phenotype. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 167:121-139. [PMID: 34097984 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The physics-biology continuum relies on the fact that life emerged from prebiotic molecules. Here, I argue that life emerged from the coupling between nucleic acid and protein synthesis during which proteins (or proto-phenotypes) maintained the physicochemical parameter equilibria (or proto-homeostasis) in the proximity of their encoding nucleic acids (or proto-genomes). This protected the proto-genome physicochemical integrity (i.e., atomic composition) from environmental physicochemical constraints, and therefore increased the probability of reproducing the proto-genome without variation. From there, genomes evolved depending on the biological activities they generated in response to environmental fluctuations. Thus, a genome maintaining homeostasis (i.e., internal physicochemical parameter equilibria), despite and in response to environmental fluctuations, maintains its physicochemical integrity and has therefore a higher probability to be reproduced without variation. Consequently, descendants have a higher probability to share the same phenotype than their parents. Otherwise, the genome is modified during replication as a consequence of the imbalance of the internal physicochemical parameters it generates, until new mutation-deriving biological activities maintain homeostasis in offspring. In summary, evolution depends on feedforward and feedback loops between genome and phenotype, as the internal physicochemical conditions that a genome generates ─ through its derived phenotype in response to environmental fluctuations ─ in turn either guarantee its stability or direct its variation. Evolution may not be explained by the Darwinism-derived, unidirectional principle (random mutations-phenotypes-natural selection) but rather by the bidirectional relationship between genome and phenotype, in which the phenotype in interaction with the environment directs the evolution of the genome it derives from.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Didier Auboeuf
- ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1210, Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, 46 Allée D'Italie, Site Jacques Monod, F-69007, Lyon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Raz AA, Yamashita YM. Molding immortality from a plastic germline. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 73:1-8. [PMID: 34091218 PMCID: PMC9255434 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Germ cells are uniquely capable of maintaining cellular immortality, allowing them to give rise to new individuals in generation after generation. Recent studies have identified that the germline state is plastic, with frequent interconversion between germline differentiation states and across the germline/soma border. Therefore, features that grant germline immortality must be inducible, with other cells undergoing some form of rejuvenation to a germline state. In this review, we summarize the breadth of our current interpretations of germline plasticity and the ways in which these fate conversion events can aid our understanding of the underlying hallmarks of germline immortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amelie A Raz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Yukiko M Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Baloch AR, Franěk R, Saito T, Pšenička M. Dead-end (dnd) protein in fish-a review. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2021; 47:777-784. [PMID: 30671782 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-018-0606-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dead end (dnd) is a germ plasm-specific maternal RNA discovered in zebrafish and then in other vertebrates. Dnd protein is essential for migration and motility of primordial germ cells (PGCs), only cells destined to transfer genetic information to offspring. PGCs arise far from somatic cells of developing gonads and they must migrate to their site of function. Migration of PGCs follows complex path by various developing tissues as their disruption impacts on the fertility. Recently, it has been found that dnd is not required for survival of PGCs and dnd-deficient zebrafish PGCs transdifferentiate into the somatic cells. In fish, targeting dnd causes removal of PGCs that ultimately affects sex differentiation. Sterility in various fish species can be achieved by knockdown or knockout of dnd. In our review, we have discussed dnd as a germ cell-specific molecular marker in fish, its interaction with miRNAs, and its use in aquaculture and fish conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rasheed Baloch
- South Bohemian Research Center for Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic.
| | - Roman Franěk
- South Bohemian Research Center for Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Taiju Saito
- South Bohemian Research Center for Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
- Nishiura Station, South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Uchidomari, Ainan, Ehime, 798-4206, Japan
| | - Martin Pšenička
- South Bohemian Research Center for Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Kim H, Ding YH, Lu S, Zuo MQ, Tan W, Conte D, Dong MQ, Mello CC. PIE-1 SUMOylation promotes germline fates and piRNA-dependent silencing in C. elegans. eLife 2021; 10:e63300. [PMID: 34003111 PMCID: PMC8131105 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Germlines shape and balance heredity, integrating and regulating information from both parental and foreign sources. Insights into how germlines handle information have come from the study of factors that specify or maintain the germline fate. In early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, the CCCH zinc finger protein PIE-1 localizes to the germline where it prevents somatic differentiation programs. Here, we show that PIE-1 also functions in the meiotic ovary where it becomes SUMOylated and engages the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-conjugating machinery. Using whole-SUMO-proteome mass spectrometry, we identify HDAC SUMOylation as a target of PIE-1. Our analyses of genetic interactions between pie-1 and SUMO pathway mutants suggest that PIE-1 engages the SUMO machinery both to preserve the germline fate in the embryo and to promote Argonaute-mediated surveillance in the adult germline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heesun Kim
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Yue-He Ding
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Shan Lu
- National Institute of Biological SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Mei-Qing Zuo
- National Institute of Biological SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wendy Tan
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Darryl Conte
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Meng-Qiu Dong
- National Institute of Biological SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Craig C Mello
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
The double-stranded DNA-binding proteins TEBP-1 and TEBP-2 form a telomeric complex with POT-1. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2668. [PMID: 33976151 PMCID: PMC8113555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22861-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are bound by dedicated proteins, which protect them from DNA damage and regulate telomere length homeostasis. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a comprehensive understanding of the proteins interacting with the telomere sequence is lacking. Here, we harnessed a quantitative proteomics approach to identify TEBP-1 and TEBP-2, two paralogs expressed in the germline and embryogenesis that associate to telomeres in vitro and in vivo. tebp-1 and tebp-2 mutants display strikingly distinct phenotypes: tebp-1 mutants have longer telomeres than wild-type animals, while tebp-2 mutants display shorter telomeres and a Mortal Germline. Notably, tebp-1;tebp-2 double mutant animals have synthetic sterility, with germlines showing signs of severe mitotic and meiotic arrest. Furthermore, we show that POT-1 forms a telomeric complex with TEBP-1 and TEBP-2, which bridges TEBP-1/-2 with POT-2/MRT-1. These results provide insights into the composition and organization of a telomeric protein complex in C. elegans.
Collapse
|
47
|
Nicholls PK, Page DC. Germ cell determination and the developmental origin of germ cell tumors. Development 2021; 148:239824. [PMID: 33913479 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In each generation, the germline is tasked with producing somatic lineages that form the body, and segregating a population of cells for gametogenesis. During animal development, when do cells of the germline irreversibly commit to producing gametes? Integrating findings from diverse species, we conclude that the final commitment of the germline to gametogenesis - the process of germ cell determination - occurs after primordial germ cells (PGCs) colonize the gonads. Combining this understanding with medical findings, we present a model whereby germ cell tumors arise from cells that failed to undertake germ cell determination, regardless of their having colonized the gonads. We propose that the diversity of cell types present in these tumors reflects the broad developmental potential of migratory PGCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter K Nicholls
- Whitehead Institute, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bertho S, Clapp M, Banisch TU, Bandemer J, Raz E, Marlow FL. Zebrafish dazl regulates cystogenesis and germline stem cell specification during the primordial germ cell to germline stem cell transition. Development 2021; 148:dev187773. [PMID: 33722898 PMCID: PMC8077517 DOI: 10.1242/dev.187773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Fertility and gamete reserves are maintained by asymmetric divisions of the germline stem cells to produce new stem cells or daughters that differentiate as gametes. Before entering meiosis, differentiating germ cells (GCs) of sexual animals typically undergo cystogenesis. This evolutionarily conserved process involves synchronous and incomplete mitotic divisions of a GC daughter (cystoblast) to generate sister cells connected by intercellular bridges that facilitate the exchange of materials to support rapid expansion of the gamete progenitor population. Here, we investigated cystogenesis in zebrafish and found that early GCs are connected by ring canals, and show that Deleted in azoospermia-like (Dazl), a conserved vertebrate RNA-binding protein (Rbp), is a regulator of this process. Analysis of dazl mutants revealed the essential role of Dazl in regulating incomplete cytokinesis, germline cyst formation and germline stem cell specification before the meiotic transition. Accordingly, dazl mutant GCs form defective ring canals, and ultimately remain as individual cells that fail to differentiate as meiocytes. In addition to promoting cystoblast divisions and meiotic entry, dazl is required for germline stem cell establishment and fertility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Bertho
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1020 New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Mara Clapp
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Torsten U. Banisch
- Institute of Cell Biology Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, Von-Esmarch-Str. 56, D-48149 Muenster, Germany
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York, NY 10012, USA
| | - Jan Bandemer
- Institute of Cell Biology Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, Von-Esmarch-Str. 56, D-48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Erez Raz
- Institute of Cell Biology Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, Von-Esmarch-Str. 56, D-48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Florence L. Marlow
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1020 New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Choi HJ, Jin SD, Rengaraj D, Kim JH, Pain B, Han JY. Differential transcriptional regulation of the NANOG gene in chicken primordial germ cells and embryonic stem cells. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2021; 12:40. [PMID: 33658075 PMCID: PMC7931612 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-021-00563-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background NANOG is a core transcription factor (TF) in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and primordial germ cells (PGCs). Regulation of the NANOG gene by TFs, epigenetic factors, and autoregulatory factors is well characterized in ESCs, and transcriptional regulation of NANOG is well established in these cells. Although NANOG plays a key role in germ cells, the molecular mechanism underlying its transcriptional regulation in PGCs has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism that regulates transcription of the chicken NANOG (cNANOG) gene in PGCs and ESCs. Results We first identified the transcription start site of cNANOG by 5′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR analysis. Then, we measured the promoter activity of various 5′ flanking regions of cNANOG in chicken PGCs and ESCs using the luciferase reporter assay. cNANOG expression required transcriptional regulatory elements, which were positively regulated by POU5F3 (OCT4) and SOX2 and negatively regulated by TP53 in PGCs. The proximal region of the cNANOG promoter contains a positive transcriptional regulatory element (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (CEBP)-binding site) in ESCs. Furthermore, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown demonstrated that POU5F3, SOX2, and CEBP played a role in cell type-specific transcription of cNANOG. Conclusions We show for the first time that different trans-regulatory elements control transcription of cNANOG in a cell type-specific manner. This finding might help to elucidate the mechanism that regulates cNANOG expression in PGCs and ESCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hee Jung Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - So Dam Jin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Deivendran Rengaraj
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Jin Hwa Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Bertrand Pain
- Univ Lyon, Universite ́Lyon 1, INSERM, INRAE, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, U1208, USC1361, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Jae Yong Han
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea. .,Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University, Minamiminowa, Nagano, 399-4598, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Spichal M, Heestand B, Billmyre KK, Frenk S, Mello CC, Ahmed S. Germ granule dysfunction is a hallmark and mirror of Piwi mutant sterility. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1420. [PMID: 33658512 PMCID: PMC7930041 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21635-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In several species, Piwi/piRNA genome silencing defects cause immediate sterility that correlates with transposon expression and transposon-induced genomic instability. In C. elegans, mutations in the Piwi-related gene (prg-1) and other piRNA deficient mutants cause a transgenerational decline in fertility over a period of several generations. Here we show that the sterility of late generation piRNA mutants correlates poorly with increases in DNA damage signaling. Instead, sterile individuals consistently exhibit altered perinuclear germ granules. We show that disruption of germ granules does not activate transposon expression but induces multiple phenotypes found in sterile prg-1 pathway mutants. Furthermore, loss of the germ granule component pgl-1 enhances prg-1 mutant infertility. Environmental restoration of germ granule function for sterile pgl-1 mutants restores their fertility. We propose that Piwi mutant sterility is a reproductive arrest phenotype that is characterized by perturbed germ granule structure and is phenocopied by germ granule dysfunction, independent of genomic instability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maya Spichal
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.168645.80000 0001 0742 0364RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Bree Heestand
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Katherine Kretovich Billmyre
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.250820.d0000 0000 9420 1591Present Address: Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO USA
| | - Stephen Frenk
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,Present Address: Achilles Therapeutics Limited, London, UK
| | - Craig C. Mello
- grid.168645.80000 0001 0742 0364RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA USA ,grid.413575.10000 0001 2167 1581Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Shawn Ahmed
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| |
Collapse
|