1
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Kim S, Morgunova E, Naqvi S, Goovaerts S, Bader M, Koska M, Popov A, Luong C, Pogson A, Swigut T, Claes P, Taipale J, Wysocka J. DNA-guided transcription factor cooperativity shapes face and limb mesenchyme. Cell 2024; 187:692-711.e26. [PMID: 38262408 PMCID: PMC10872279 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.032] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) can define distinct cellular identities despite nearly identical DNA-binding specificities. One mechanism for achieving regulatory specificity is DNA-guided TF cooperativity. Although in vitro studies suggest that it may be common, examples of such cooperativity remain scarce in cellular contexts. Here, we demonstrate how "Coordinator," a long DNA motif composed of common motifs bound by many basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and homeodomain (HD) TFs, uniquely defines the regulatory regions of embryonic face and limb mesenchyme. Coordinator guides cooperative and selective binding between the bHLH family mesenchymal regulator TWIST1 and a collective of HD factors associated with regional identities in the face and limb. TWIST1 is required for HD binding and open chromatin at Coordinator sites, whereas HD factors stabilize TWIST1 occupancy at Coordinator and titrate it away from HD-independent sites. This cooperativity results in the shared regulation of genes involved in cell-type and positional identities and ultimately shapes facial morphology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungsoo Kim
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ekaterina Morgunova
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sahin Naqvi
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Seppe Goovaerts
- Medical Imaging Research Center, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maram Bader
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mervenaz Koska
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Christy Luong
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Angela Pogson
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tomek Swigut
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peter Claes
- Medical Imaging Research Center, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Applied Tumor Genomics Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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2
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Nguyen TT, Mitchell JM, Kiel MD, Kenny CP, Li H, Jones KL, Cornell RA, Williams TJ, Nichols JT, Van Otterloo E. TFAP2 paralogs regulate midfacial development in part through a conserved ALX genetic pathway. Development 2024; 151:dev202095. [PMID: 38063857 PMCID: PMC10820886 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Cranial neural crest development is governed by positional gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Fine-tuning of the GRN components underlies facial shape variation, yet how those networks in the midface are connected and activated remain poorly understood. Here, we show that concerted inactivation of Tfap2a and Tfap2b in the murine neural crest, even during the late migratory phase, results in a midfacial cleft and skeletal abnormalities. Bulk and single-cell RNA-seq profiling reveal that loss of both TFAP2 family members dysregulates numerous midface GRN components involved in midface morphogenesis, patterning and differentiation. Notably, Alx1, Alx3 and Alx4 (ALX) transcript levels are reduced, whereas ChIP-seq analyses suggest TFAP2 family members directly and positively regulate ALX gene expression. Tfap2a, Tfap2b and ALX co-expression in midfacial neural crest cells of both mouse and zebrafish implies conservation of this regulatory axis across vertebrates. Consistent with this notion, tfap2a zebrafish mutants present with abnormal alx3 expression patterns, Tfap2a binds ALX loci and tfap2a-alx3 genetic interactions are observed. Together, these data demonstrate TFAP2 paralogs regulate vertebrate midfacial development in part by activating expression of ALX transcription factor genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy T. Nguyen
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Jennyfer M. Mitchell
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michaela D. Kiel
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Colin P. Kenny
- Department of Surgery, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kenneth L. Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Robert A. Cornell
- Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Trevor J. Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - James T. Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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3
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Cain B, Webb J, Yuan Z, Cheung D, Lim HW, Kovall R, Weirauch MT, Gebelein B. Prediction of cooperative homeodomain DNA binding sites from high-throughput-SELEX data. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6055-6072. [PMID: 37114997 PMCID: PMC10325903 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeodomain proteins constitute one of the largest families of metazoan transcription factors. Genetic studies have demonstrated that homeodomain proteins regulate many developmental processes. Yet, biochemical data reveal that most bind highly similar DNA sequences. Defining how homeodomain proteins achieve DNA binding specificity has therefore been a long-standing goal. Here, we developed a novel computational approach to predict cooperative dimeric binding of homeodomain proteins using High-Throughput (HT) SELEX data. Importantly, we found that 15 of 88 homeodomain factors form cooperative homodimer complexes on DNA sites with precise spacing requirements. Approximately one third of the paired-like homeodomain proteins cooperatively bind palindromic sequences spaced 3 bp apart, whereas other homeodomain proteins cooperatively bind sites with distinct orientation and spacing requirements. Combining structural models of a paired-like factor with our cooperativity predictions identified key amino acid differences that help differentiate between cooperative and non-cooperative factors. Finally, we confirmed predicted cooperative dimer sites in vivo using available genomic data for a subset of factors. These findings demonstrate how HT-SELEX data can be computationally mined to predict cooperativity. In addition, the binding site spacing requirements of select homeodomain proteins provide a mechanism by which seemingly similar AT-rich DNA sequences can preferentially recruit specific homeodomain factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Cain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 7007, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Jordan Webb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Zhenyu Yuan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - David Cheung
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Hee-Woong Lim
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Rhett A Kovall
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Divisions of Human Genetics, Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology (CAGE), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Brian Gebelein
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 7007, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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4
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Nguyen TT, Mitchell JM, Kiel MD, Jones KL, Williams TJ, Nichols JT, Van Otterloo E. TFAP2 paralogs regulate midfacial development in part through a conserved ALX genetic pathway. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545376. [PMID: 37398373 PMCID: PMC10312788 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Cranial neural crest development is governed by positional gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Fine-tuning of the GRN components underly facial shape variation, yet how those in the midface are connected and activated remain poorly understood. Here, we show that concerted inactivation of Tfap2a and Tfap2b in the murine neural crest even during the late migratory phase results in a midfacial cleft and skeletal abnormalities. Bulk and single-cell RNA-seq profiling reveal that loss of both Tfap2 members dysregulated numerous midface GRN components involved in midface fusion, patterning, and differentiation. Notably, Alx1/3/4 (Alx) transcript levels are reduced, while ChIP-seq analyses suggest TFAP2 directly and positively regulates Alx gene expression. TFAP2 and ALX co-expression in midfacial neural crest cells of both mouse and zebrafish further implies conservation of this regulatory axis across vertebrates. Consistent with this notion, tfap2a mutant zebrafish present abnormal alx3 expression patterns, and the two genes display a genetic interaction in this species. Together, these data demonstrate a critical role for TFAP2 in regulating vertebrate midfacial development in part through ALX transcription factor gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy T Nguyen
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Jennyfer M Mitchell
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michaela D Kiel
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Trevor J Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - James T Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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5
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Kim S, Morgunova E, Naqvi S, Bader M, Koska M, Popov A, Luong C, Pogson A, Claes P, Taipale J, Wysocka J. DNA-guided transcription factor cooperativity shapes face and limb mesenchyme. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.29.541540. [PMID: 37398193 PMCID: PMC10312427 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.29.541540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) can define distinct cellular identities despite nearly identical DNA-binding specificities. One mechanism for achieving regulatory specificity is DNA-guided TF cooperativity. Although in vitro studies suggest it may be common, examples of such cooperativity remain scarce in cellular contexts. Here, we demonstrate how 'Coordinator', a long DNA motif comprised of common motifs bound by many basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and homeodomain (HD) TFs, uniquely defines regulatory regions of embryonic face and limb mesenchyme. Coordinator guides cooperative and selective binding between the bHLH family mesenchymal regulator TWIST1 and a collective of HD factors associated with regional identities in the face and limb. TWIST1 is required for HD binding and open chromatin at Coordinator sites, while HD factors stabilize TWIST1 occupancy at Coordinator and titrate it away from HD-independent sites. This cooperativity results in shared regulation of genes involved in cell-type and positional identities, and ultimately shapes facial morphology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungsoo Kim
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Ekaterina Morgunova
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sahin Naqvi
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Maram Bader
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Mervenaz Koska
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | | | - Christy Luong
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Angela Pogson
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Peter Claes
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Medical Imaging Research Center, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305
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Yoon B, Yeung P, Santistevan N, Bluhm LE, Kawasaki K, Kueper J, Dubielzig R, VanOudenhove J, Cotney J, Liao EC, Grinblat Y. Zebrafish models of alx-linked frontonasal dysplasia reveal a role for Alx1 and Alx3 in the anterior segment and vasculature of the developing eye. Biol Open 2022; 11:bio059189. [PMID: 35142342 PMCID: PMC9167625 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular and genetic mechanisms that coordinate formation of facial sensory structures with surrounding skeletal and soft tissue elements remain poorly understood. Alx1, a homeobox transcription factor, is a key regulator of midfacial morphogenesis. ALX1 mutations in humans are linked to severe congenital anomalies of the facial skeleton (frontonasal dysplasia, FND) with malformation or absence of eyes and orbital contents (micro- and anophthalmia). Zebrafish with loss-of-function alx1 mutations develop with craniofacial and ocular defects of variable penetrance, likely due to compensatory upregulation in expression of a paralogous gene, alx3. Here we show that zebrafish alx1;alx3 mutants develop with highly penetrant cranial and ocular defects that resemble human ALX1-linked FND. alx1 and alx3 are expressed in anterior cranial neural crest (aCNC), which gives rise to the anterior neurocranium (ANC), anterior segment structures of the eye and vascular pericytes. Consistent with a functional requirement for alx genes in aCNC, alx1; alx3 mutants develop with nearly absent ANC and grossly aberrant hyaloid vasculature and ocular anterior segment, but normal retina. In vivo lineage labeling identified a requirement for alx1 and alx3 during aCNC migration, and transcriptomic analysis suggested oxidative stress response as a key target mechanism of this function. Oxidative stress is a hallmark of fetal alcohol toxicity, and we found increased penetrance of facial and ocular malformations in alx1 mutants exposed to ethanol, consistent with a protective role for alx1 against ethanol toxicity. Collectively, these data demonstrate a conserved role for zebrafish alx genes in controlling ocular and facial development, and a novel role in protecting these key midfacial structures from ethanol toxicity during embryogenesis. These data also reveal novel roles for alx genes in ocular anterior segment formation and vascular development and suggest that retinal deficits in alx mutants may be secondary to aberrant ocular vascularization and anterior segment defects. This study establishes robust zebrafish models for interrogating conserved genetic mechanisms that coordinate facial and ocular development, and for exploring gene--environment interactions relevant to fetal alcohol syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baul Yoon
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Genetics Ph.D. Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Pan Yeung
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, 02114, USA
| | - Nicholas Santistevan
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Genetics Ph.D. Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Lauren E. Bluhm
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kenta Kawasaki
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, 02114, USA
| | - Janina Kueper
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, 02114, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Richard Dubielzig
- Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin (COPLOW), University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer VanOudenhove
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Justin Cotney
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Eric C. Liao
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, 02114, USA
| | - Yevgenya Grinblat
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Genetics Ph.D. Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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7
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Ettensohn CA, Guerrero-Santoro J, Khor JM. Lessons from a transcription factor: Alx1 provides insights into gene regulatory networks, cellular reprogramming, and cell type evolution. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 146:113-148. [PMID: 35152981 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The skeleton-forming cells of sea urchins and other echinoderms have been studied by developmental biologists as models of cell specification and morphogenesis for many decades. The gene regulatory network (GRN) deployed in the embryonic skeletogenic cells of euechinoid sea urchins is one of the best understood in any developing animal. Recent comparative studies have leveraged the information contained in this GRN, bringing renewed attention to the diverse patterns of skeletogenesis within the phylum and the evolutionary basis for this diversity. The homeodomain-containing transcription factor, Alx1, was originally shown to be a core component of the skeletogenic GRN of the sea urchin embryo. Alx1 has since been found to be key regulator of skeletal cell identity throughout the phylum. As such, Alx1 is currently serving as a lens through which multiple developmental processes are being investigated. These include not only GRN organization and evolution, but also cell reprogramming, cell type evolution, and the gene regulatory control of morphogenesis. This review summarizes our current state of knowledge concerning Alx1 and highlights the insights it is yielding into these important developmental and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A Ettensohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| | | | - Jian Ming Khor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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8
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Iyyanar PPR, Wu Z, Lan Y, Hu YC, Jiang R. Alx1 Deficient Mice Recapitulate Craniofacial Phenotype and Reveal Developmental Basis of ALX1-Related Frontonasal Dysplasia. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:777887. [PMID: 35127681 PMCID: PMC8815032 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.777887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of ALX1 function causes the frontonasal dysplasia syndrome FND3, characterized by severe facial clefting and microphthalmia. Whereas the laboratory mouse has been the preeminent animal model for studying developmental mechanisms of human craniofacial birth defects, the roles of ALX1 in mouse frontonasal development have not been well characterized because the only previously reported Alx1 mutant mouse line exhibited acrania due to a genetic background-dependent failure of cranial neural tube closure. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, we have generated an Alx1-deletion mouse model that recapitulates the FND craniofacial malformations, including median orofacial clefting and disruption of development of the eyes and alae nasi. In situ hybridization analysis showed that Alx1 is strongly expressed in frontonasal neural crest cells that give rise to periocular and frontonasal mesenchyme. Alx1del/del embryos exhibited increased apoptosis of periocular mesenchyme and decreased expression of ocular developmental regulators Pitx2 and Lmxb1 in the periocular mesenchyme, followed by defective optic stalk morphogenesis. Moreover, Alx1del/del embryos exhibited disruption of frontonasal mesenchyme identity, with loss of expression of Pax7 and concomitant ectopic expression of the jaw mesenchyme regulators Lhx6 and Lhx8 in the developing lateral nasal processes. The function of ALX1 in patterning the frontonasal mesenchyme is partly complemented by ALX4, a paralogous ALX family transcription factor whose loss-of-function causes a milder and distinctive FND. Together, these data uncover previously unknown roles of ALX1 in periocular mesenchyme development and frontonasal mesenchyme patterning, providing novel insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of ALX1-related FND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul P. R. Iyyanar
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Zhaoming Wu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Yu Lan
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Rulang Jiang
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Rulang Jiang,
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9
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Guerrero-Santoro J, Khor JM, Açıkbaş AH, Jaynes JB, Ettensohn CA. Analysis of the DNA-binding properties of Alx1, an evolutionarily conserved regulator of skeletogenesis in echinoderms. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:100901. [PMID: 34157281 PMCID: PMC8319359 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alx1, a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, is a highly conserved regulator of skeletogenesis in echinoderms. In sea urchins, Alx1 plays a central role in the differentiation of embryonic primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) and positively regulates the transcription of most biomineralization genes expressed by these cells. The alx1 gene arose via duplication and acquired a skeletogenic function distinct from its paralog (alx4) through the exonization of a 41–amino acid motif (the D2 domain). Alx1 and Alx4 contain glutamine-50 paired-type homeodomains, which interact preferentially with palindromic binding sites in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) studies have shown, however, that Alx1 binds both to palindromic and half sites in vivo. To address this apparent discrepancy and explore the function of the D2 domain, we used an endogenous cis-regulatory module associated with Sp-mtmmpb, a gene that encodes a PMC-specific metalloprotease, to analyze the DNA-binding properties of Alx1. We find that Alx1 forms dimeric complexes on TAAT-containing half sites by a mechanism distinct from the well-known mechanism of dimerization on palindromic sites. We used transgenic reporter assays to analyze the functional roles of half sites in vivo and demonstrate that two sites with partially redundant functions are essential for the PMC-specific activity of the Sp-mtmmpb cis-regulatory module. Finally, we show that the D2 domain influences the DNA-binding properties of Alx1 in vitro, suggesting that the exonization of this motif may have facilitated the acquisition of new transcriptional targets and consequently a novel developmental function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jian Ming Khor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ayşe Haruka Açıkbaş
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James B Jaynes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Charles A Ettensohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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10
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Liu Z, Li C, Xu J, Lan Y, Liu H, Li X, Maire P, Wang X, Jiang R. Crucial and Overlapping Roles of Six1 and Six2 in Craniofacial Development. J Dent Res 2019; 98:572-579. [PMID: 30905259 DOI: 10.1177/0022034519835204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
SIX1 and SIX2 encode closely related transcription factors of which disruptions have been associated with distinct craniofacial syndromes, with mutations in SIX1 associated with branchiootic syndrome 3 (BOS3) and heterozygous deletions of SIX2 associated with frontonasal dysplasia defects. Whereas mice deficient in Six1 recapitulated most of the developmental defects associated with BOS3, mice lacking Six2 function had no obvious frontonasal defects. We show that Six1 and Six2 exhibit partly overlapping patterns of expression in the developing mouse embryonic frontonasal, maxillary, and mandibular processes. We found that Six1 -/- Six2 -/- double-mutant mice were born with severe craniofacial deformity not seen in the Six1 -/- or Six2 -/- single mutants, including skull bone agenesis, midline facial cleft, and syngnathia. Moreover, whereas Six1 -/- mice exhibited partial transformation of maxillary zygomatic bone into a mandibular condyle-like structure, Six1 -/-Six2 +/- mice exhibit significantly increased penetrance of the maxillary malformation. In addition to ectopic Dlx5 expression at the maxillary-mandibular junction as recently reported in E10.5 Six1 -/- embryos, the E10.5 Six1 -/- Six2 +/- embryos showed ectopic expression of Bmp4, Msx1, and Msx2 messenger RNAs in the maxillary-mandibular junction. Genetically inactivating 1 allele of either Ednra or Bmp4 significantly reduced the penetrance of maxillary malformation in both Six1 -/- and Six1 -/- Six2 +/- embryos, indicating that Six1 and Six2 regulate both endothelin and bone morphogenetic protein-4 signaling pathways to pattern the facial structures. Furthermore, we show that neural crest-specific inactivation of Six1 in Six2 -/- embryos resulted in midline facial cleft and frontal bone agenesis. We show that Six1 -/- Six2 -/- embryos exhibit significantly reduced expression of key frontonasal development genes Alx1 and Alx3 as well as increased apoptosis in the developing frontonasal mesenchyme. Together, these results indicate that Six1 and Six2 function partly redundantly to control multiple craniofacial developmental processes and play a crucial neural crest cell-autonomous role in frontonasal morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Liu
- 1 Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,2 Department of Oral & Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - C Li
- 1 Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - J Xu
- 1 Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Y Lan
- 1 Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,3 Division of Plastic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,4 Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - H Liu
- 1 Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - X Li
- 5 Departments of Urology and Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - P Maire
- 6 INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - X Wang
- 2 Department of Oral & Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - R Jiang
- 1 Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,3 Division of Plastic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,4 Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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11
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Coelacanth-specific adaptive genes give insights into primitive evolution for water-to-land transition of tetrapods. Mar Genomics 2018; 38:89-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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12
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Bickelmann C, Frota-Lima GN, Triepel SK, Kawaguchi A, Schneider I, Fröbisch NB. Noncanonical Hox, Etv4, and Gli3 gene activities give insight into unique limb patterning in salamanders. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2018; 330:138-147. [PMID: 29602205 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Limb development in salamanders is unique among tetrapods in significant ways. Not only can salamanders regenerate lost limbs repeatedly and throughout their lives, but also the preaxial zeugopodial element and digits form before the postaxial ones and, hence, with a reversed polarity compared to all other tetrapods. Moreover, in salamanders with free-swimming larval stages, as exemplified by the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), each digit buds independently, instead of undergoing a paddle stage. Here, we report gene expression patterns of Hoxa and d clusters, and other crucial transcription factors during axolotl limb development. During early phases of limb development, expression patterns are mostly similar to those reported for amniotes and frogs. Likewise, Hoxd and Shh regulatory landscapes are largely conserved. However, during late digit-budding phases, remarkable differences are present: (i) the Hoxd13 expression domain excludes developing digits I and IV, (ii) we expand upon previous observation that Hoxa11 expression, which traditionally marks the zeugopodium, extends distally into the developing digits, and (iii) Gli3 and Etv4 show prolonged expression in developing digits. Our findings identify derived patterns in the expression of key transcription factors during late phases of salamander limb development, and provide the basis for a better understanding of the unique patterning of salamander limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Bickelmann
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriela Neiva Frota-Lima
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany.,Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Sandra Karla Triepel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Akane Kawaguchi
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Igor Schneider
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Nadia Belinda Fröbisch
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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13
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Suzuki A, Jun G, Abdallah N, Gajera M, Iwata J. Gene datasets associated with mouse cleft palate. Data Brief 2018; 18:655-673. [PMID: 29896534 PMCID: PMC5996166 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This article presents data on genes associated with cleft palate (CP), retrieved through both a full-text systematic review and a mouse genome informatics (MGI) database search. In order to group CP-associated genes according to function, pathway, biological process, and cellular component, the genes were analyzed using category enrichment bioinformatics tools, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO). This approach provides invaluable opportunities for the identification of candidate pathways and genes in CP research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Suzuki
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Goo Jun
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nada Abdallah
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mona Gajera
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Junichi Iwata
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
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14
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A six-gene expression toolbox for the glands, epithelium and chondrocytes in the mouse nasal cavity. Gene Expr Patterns 2017; 27:46-55. [PMID: 29122676 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The nose is the central feature of the amniote face. In adults, the nose is a structurally and functionally complex organ that consists of bone, cartilage, glands and ducts. In an ongoing expression screen in our lab, we found several novel markers for specific tissues in the nasal region. Here, using in situ hybridization expression experiments, we report that Alx1, Ap-2β, Crispld1, Eya4, Moxd1, and Penk have tissue specific expression during murine nasal development. At E11.5, we observed that Alx1, Ap-2β, Crispld1, and Eya4 are expressed in the medial and lateral nasal prominences. We found that Moxd1 and Penk are expressed in the lateral nasal prominences. At E15.5, Alx1 is expressed in nasal septum. Ap-2β and Crispld1 are expressed in nasal glands and cartilages. Eya4 is expressed in olfactory epithelium. Intriguingly at E15.5 Moxd1 is expressed in all the nasal cartilage while the expression of Penk is restricted to chondrocytes contributing to the posterior nasal septum. The expression domains reported here suggest that these genes warrant functional studies to determine their role in nasal capsule morphogenesis.
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15
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Garg A, Bansal M, Gotoh N, Feng GS, Zhong J, Wang F, Kariminejad A, Brooks S, Zhang X. Alx4 relays sequential FGF signaling to induce lacrimal gland morphogenesis. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007047. [PMID: 29028795 PMCID: PMC5656309 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sequential use of signaling pathways is essential for the guidance of pluripotent progenitors into diverse cell fates. Here, we show that Shp2 exclusively mediates FGF but not PDGF signaling in the neural crest to control lacrimal gland development. In addition to preventing p53-independent apoptosis and promoting the migration of Sox10-expressing neural crests, Shp2 is also required for expression of the homeodomain transcription factor Alx4, which directly controls Fgf10 expression in the periocular mesenchyme that is necessary for lacrimal gland induction. We show that Alx4 binds an Fgf10 intronic element conserved in terrestrial but not aquatic animals, underlying the evolutionary emergence of the lacrimal gland system in response to an airy environment. Inactivation of ALX4/Alx4 causes lacrimal gland aplasia in both human and mouse. These results reveal a key role of Alx4 in mediating FGF-Shp2-FGF signaling in the neural crest for lacrimal gland development. The dry eye disease caused by lacrimal gland dysgenesis is one of the most common ocular ailments. In this study, we show that Shp2 mediates the sequential use of FGF signaling in lacrimal gland development. Our study identifies Alx4 as a novel target of Shp2 signaling and a causal gene for lacrimal gland aplasia in humans. Given this result, there may also be a potential role for Alx4 in guiding pluripotent stem cells to produce lacrimal gland tissue. Finally, our data reveals an Alx4-Fgf10 regulatory unit broadly conserved in the diverse array of terrestrial animals from humans to reptiles, but not in aquatic animals such as amphibians and fish, which sheds light on how the lacrimal gland arose as an evolutionary innovation of terrestrial animals to adapt to their newfound exposure to an airy environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Garg
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Mukesh Bansal
- PsychoGenics Inc., Tarrytown, NY, United States of America
| | - Noriko Gotoh
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa city, Japan
| | - Gen-Sheng Feng
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, and Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Jian Zhong
- Burke Medical Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, United States of America
| | - Fen Wang
- Center for Cancer Biology and Nutrition, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | | | - Steven Brooks
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Xin Zhang
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Shi Y, Sun X, He X. Overexpression of Aristaless-Like Homeobox-4 Inhibits Proliferation, Invasion, and EMT in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells. Oncol Res 2017; 25:11-18. [PMID: 28081728 PMCID: PMC7840740 DOI: 10.3727/096504016x14685034103833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aristaless-like homeobox-4 (ALX4), a member of the Aristaless-like homeobox family, has been found to be involved in tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, the role of ALX4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unclear. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of ALX4 on HCC. The study results indicated that the expression of ALX4 was downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, we demonstrated that overexpression of ALX4 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. We also found that ALX4 had an inhibitory effect on the sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway. Taken together, the results suggest that ALX4 may be a promising target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Shi
- Control of Nosocomial Infections, Hong-hui Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University College of MedicineXianP.R. China
| | - Xiaoke Sun
- Department of Surgery, Hong-hui Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University College of MedicineXianP.R. China
| | - Xiafen He
- Basic Medical College of Xian Jiaotong UniversityXianP.R. China
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17
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Pashay Ahi E, Walker BS, Lassiter CS, Jónsson ZO. Investigation of the effects of estrogen on skeletal gene expression during zebrafish larval head development. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1878. [PMID: 27069811 PMCID: PMC4824909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of craniofacial skeletal structures requires well-orchestrated tissue interactions controlled by distinct molecular signals. Disruptions in normal function of these molecular signals have been associated with a wide range of craniofacial malformations. A pathway mediated by estrogens is one of those molecular signals that plays role in formation of bone and cartilage including craniofacial skeletogenesis. Studies in zebrafish have shown that while higher concentrations of 17-β estradiol (E 2) cause severe craniofacial defects, treatment with lower concentrations result in subtle changes in head morphology characterized with shorter snouts and flatter faces. The molecular basis for these morphological changes, particularly the subtle skeletal effects mediated by lower E 2 concentrations, remains unexplored. In the present study we address these effects at a molecular level by quantitative expression analysis of sets of candidate genes in developing heads of zebrafish larvae treated with two different E 2 concentrations. To this end, we first validated three suitable reference genes, ppia2, rpl8 and tbp, to permit sensitive quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Next, we profiled the expression of 28 skeletogenesis-associated genes that potentially respond to estrogen signals and play role in craniofacial development. We found E 2 mediated differential expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling, mmp2/9/13, sparc and timp2a, as well as components of skeletogenic pathways, bmp2a, erf, ptch1/2, rankl, rarab and sfrp1a. Furthermore, we identified a co-expressed network of genes, including cpn1, dnajc3, esr1, lman1, rrbp1a, ssr1 and tram1 with a stronger inductive response to a lower dose of E 2 during larval head development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland , Reykjavik , Iceland
| | | | | | - Zophonías O Jónsson
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
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18
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Common mechanisms in development and disease: BMP signaling in craniofacial development. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2015; 27:129-39. [PMID: 26747371 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BMP signaling is one of the key pathways regulating craniofacial development. It is involved in the early patterning of the head, the development of cranial neural crest cells, and facial patterning. It regulates development of its mineralized structures, such as cranial bones, maxilla, mandible, palate, and teeth. Targeted mutations in the mouse have been instrumental to delineate the functional involvement of this signaling network in different aspects of craniofacial development. Gene polymorphisms and mutations in BMP pathway genes have been associated with various non-syndromic and syndromic human craniofacial malformations. The identification of intricate cellular interactions and underlying molecular pathways illustrate the importance of local fine-regulation of Bmp signaling to control proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, and stem/progenitor differentiation during craniofacial development. Thus, BMP signaling contributes both to shape and functionality of our facial features. BMP signaling also regulates postnatal craniofacial growth and is associated with dental structures life-long. A more detailed understanding of BMP function in growth, homeostasis, and repair of postnatal craniofacial tissues will contribute to our ability to rationally manipulate this signaling network in the context of tissue engineering.
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19
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Adhikari K, Reales G, Smith AJP, Konka E, Palmen J, Quinto-Sanchez M, Acuña-Alonzo V, Jaramillo C, Arias W, Fuentes M, Pizarro M, Barquera Lozano R, Macín Pérez G, Gómez-Valdés J, Villamil-Ramírez H, Hunemeier T, Ramallo V, Silva de Cerqueira CC, Hurtado M, Villegas V, Granja V, Gallo C, Poletti G, Schuler-Faccini L, Salzano FM, Bortolini MC, Canizales-Quinteros S, Rothhammer F, Bedoya G, Calderón R, Rosique J, Cheeseman M, Bhutta MF, Humphries SE, Gonzalez-José R, Headon D, Balding D, Ruiz-Linares A. A genome-wide association study identifies multiple loci for variation in human ear morphology. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7500. [PMID: 26105758 PMCID: PMC4491814 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report a genome-wide association study for non-pathological pinna morphology in over 5,000 Latin Americans. We find genome-wide significant association at seven genomic regions affecting: lobe size and attachment, folding of antihelix, helix rolling, ear protrusion and antitragus size (linear regression P values 2 × 10(-8) to 3 × 10(-14)). Four traits are associated with a functional variant in the Ectodysplasin A receptor (EDAR) gene, a key regulator of embryonic skin appendage development. We confirm expression of Edar in the developing mouse ear and that Edar-deficient mice have an abnormally shaped pinna. Two traits are associated with SNPs in a region overlapping the T-Box Protein 15 (TBX15) gene, a major determinant of mouse skeletal development. Strongest association in this region is observed for SNP rs17023457 located in an evolutionarily conserved binding site for the transcription factor Cartilage paired-class homeoprotein 1 (CART1), and we confirm that rs17023457 alters in vitro binding of CART1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaustubh Adhikari
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Guillermo Reales
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andrew J P Smith
- Centre for Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories, Institute Cardiovascular Sciences, University College London, Rayne Building, London WC1E 6JF, UK
| | - Esra Konka
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jutta Palmen
- Centre for Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories, Institute Cardiovascular Sciences, University College London, Rayne Building, London WC1E 6JF, UK
| | | | - Victor Acuña-Alonzo
- 1] Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK [2] National Institute of Anthropology and History, Mexico City 4510, Mexico
| | - Claudia Jaramillo
- GENMOL (Genética Molecular), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 5001000, Colombia
| | - William Arias
- GENMOL (Genética Molecular), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 5001000, Colombia
| | - Macarena Fuentes
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Programa de Genética Humana ICBM Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Chile and Centro de Investigaciones del Hombre en el Desierto, Arica 1000000, Chile
| | - María Pizarro
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Programa de Genética Humana ICBM Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Chile and Centro de Investigaciones del Hombre en el Desierto, Arica 1000000, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Barquera Lozano
- 1] National Institute of Anthropology and History, Mexico City 4510, Mexico [2] Unidad de Genómica de Poblaciones Aplicada a la Salud, Facultad de Química, UNAM-Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City 4510, Mexico
| | - Gastón Macín Pérez
- 1] National Institute of Anthropology and History, Mexico City 4510, Mexico [2] Unidad de Genómica de Poblaciones Aplicada a la Salud, Facultad de Química, UNAM-Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City 4510, Mexico
| | | | - Hugo Villamil-Ramírez
- Unidad de Genómica de Poblaciones Aplicada a la Salud, Facultad de Química, UNAM-Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City 4510, Mexico
| | - Tábita Hunemeier
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Virginia Ramallo
- 1] Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Puerto Madryn U9129ACD, Argentina [2] Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | | | - Malena Hurtado
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru
| | - Valeria Villegas
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru
| | - Vanessa Granja
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru
| | - Carla Gallo
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru
| | - Giovanni Poletti
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 31, Peru
| | - Lavinia Schuler-Faccini
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Francisco M Salzano
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Maria-Cátira Bortolini
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Samuel Canizales-Quinteros
- Unidad de Genómica de Poblaciones Aplicada a la Salud, Facultad de Química, UNAM-Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City 4510, Mexico
| | - Francisco Rothhammer
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Programa de Genética Humana ICBM Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Chile and Centro de Investigaciones del Hombre en el Desierto, Arica 1000000, Chile
| | - Gabriel Bedoya
- GENMOL (Genética Molecular), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 5001000, Colombia
| | - Rosario Calderón
- Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Javier Rosique
- Departamento de Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 5001000, Colombia
| | - Michael Cheeseman
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mahmood F Bhutta
- 1] UCL Ear Institute, University College London, London WC1X 8EE, UK [2] Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, London WC1X 8EE, UK
| | - Steve E Humphries
- 1] Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK [2] Centre for Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories, Institute Cardiovascular Sciences, University College London, Rayne Building, London WC1E 6JF, UK
| | | | - Denis Headon
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
| | - David Balding
- 1] Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK [2] Schools of BioSciences and Mathematics &Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andrés Ruiz-Linares
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Curtain M, Heffner CS, Maddox DM, Gudis P, Donahue LR, Murray SA. A novel allele of Alx4 results in reduced Fgf10 expression and failure of eyelid fusion in mice. Mamm Genome 2015; 26:173-80. [PMID: 25673119 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-015-9557-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Normal fusion of developing eyelids requires coordination of inductive signals from the eyelid mesenchyme with migration of the periderm cell layer and constriction of the eyelids across the eye. Failure of this process results in an eyelids open at birth (EOB) phenotype in mice. We have identified a novel spontaneous allele of Alx4 that displays EOB, in addition to polydactyly and cranial malformations. Alx4 is expressed in the eyelid mesenchyme prior to and during eyelid fusion in a domain overlapping the expression of genes that also play a role in normal eyelid development. We show that Alx4 mutant mice have reduced expression of Fgf10, a key factor expressed in the mesenchyme that is required for initiation of eyelid fusion by the periderm. This is accompanied by a reduced number of periderm cells expressing phosphorylated c-Jun, consistent with the incomplete ablation of Fgf10 expression. Together, these data demonstrate that eyelid fusion in mice requires the expression of Alx4, accompanied by the loss of normal expression of essential components of the eyelid fusion pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Curtain
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main St., Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
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21
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Solution NMR structures of homeodomains from human proteins ALX4, ZHX1, and CASP8AP2 contribute to the structural coverage of the Human Cancer Protein Interaction Network. JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS 2014; 15:201-7. [PMID: 24941917 DOI: 10.1007/s10969-014-9184-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
High-quality solution NMR structures of three homeodomains from human proteins ALX4, ZHX1 and CASP8AP2 were solved. These domains were chosen as targets of a biomedical theme project pursued by the Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium. This project focuses on increasing the structural coverage of human proteins associated with cancer.
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22
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Lours-Calet C, Alvares LE, El-Hanfy AS, Gandesha S, Walters EH, Sobreira DR, Wotton KR, Jorge EC, Lawson JA, Kelsey Lewis A, Tada M, Sharpe C, Kardon G, Dietrich S. Evolutionarily conserved morphogenetic movements at the vertebrate head-trunk interface coordinate the transport and assembly of hypopharyngeal structures. Dev Biol 2014; 390:231-46. [PMID: 24662046 PMCID: PMC4010675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate head–trunk interface (occipital region) has been heavily remodelled during evolution, and its development is still poorly understood. In extant jawed vertebrates, this region provides muscle precursors for the throat and tongue (hypopharyngeal/hypobranchial/hypoglossal muscle precursors, HMP) that take a stereotype path rostrally along the pharynx and are thought to reach their target sites via active migration. Yet, this projection pattern emerged in jawless vertebrates before the evolution of migratory muscle precursors. This suggests that a so far elusive, more basic transport mechanism must have existed and may still be traceable today. Here we show for the first time that all occipital tissues participate in well-conserved cell movements. These cell movements are spearheaded by the occipital lateral mesoderm and ectoderm that split into two streams. The rostrally directed stream projects along the floor of the pharynx and reaches as far rostrally as the floor of the mandibular arch and outflow tract of the heart. Notably, this stream leads and engulfs the later emerging HMP, neural crest cells and hypoglossal nerve. When we (i) attempted to redirect hypobranchial/hypoglossal muscle precursors towards various attractants, (ii) placed non-migratory muscle precursors into the occipital environment or (iii) molecularly or (iv) genetically rendered muscle precursors non-migratory, they still followed the trajectory set by the occipital lateral mesoderm and ectoderm. Thus, we have discovered evolutionarily conserved morphogenetic movements, driven by the occipital lateral mesoderm and ectoderm, that ensure cell transport and organ assembly at the head–trunk interface. At the vertebrate head–trunk interface, all tissues engage in stereotype cell movements. A ventrally–rostrally directed stream of cells leads along the floor of the pharynx to the developing jaw and outflow tract of the heart. The cell movements are spearheaded by the lateral mesoderm and surface ectoderm; muscle precursors for throat and tongue muscles (hypopharyngeal muscles); neural crest cells and outgrowing axons of the hypoglossal nerve follow. Hypopharyngeal muscle precursors follow the trajectory set by the lateral mesoderm and ectoderm, even when challenged with ectopic attractants or when rendered non-migratory. The newly discovered cell movements are the likely ground state for cell transport and organ assembly at the head–trunk interface before actively migrating muscle precursors evolved in “bony” (osteichthyan) vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Lours-Calet
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK; GReD - Génétique Reproduction et Développement, UMR CNRS 6247, INSERM U931, Clermont Université, 24, Avenue des Landais, BP 80026, 63171 Aubiere Cedex, France
| | - Lucia E Alvares
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK; Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Charles Darwin s/n, Cx. Postal 6109, CEP 13083-863 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amira S El-Hanfy
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Saniel Gandesha
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK; College Road Dental Practice, 2 College Road, Bromsgrove, B60 2NE
| | - Esther H Walters
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Débora Rodrigues Sobreira
- Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Charles Darwin s/n, Cx. Postal 6109, CEP 13083-863 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute for Biomedical and Biomolecular Science (IBBS), School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, St. Michael׳s Building, White Swan Road, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Karl R Wotton
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK; EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Research Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and UPF, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Erika C Jorge
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK; Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jennifer A Lawson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - A Kelsey Lewis
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Masazumi Tada
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Colin Sharpe
- Institute for Biomedical and Biomolecular Science (IBBS), School of Biology, University of Portsmouth, St. Michael׳s Building, White Swan Road, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Gabrielle Kardon
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Susanne Dietrich
- School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King׳s College London, Hodgkin Building G43S/44S, Guy׳s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK; Institute for Biomedical and Biomolecular Science (IBBS), School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, St. Michael׳s Building, White Swan Road, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK.
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23
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Inman KE, Purcell P, Kume T, Trainor PA. Interaction between Foxc1 and Fgf8 during mammalian jaw patterning and in the pathogenesis of syngnathia. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003949. [PMID: 24385915 PMCID: PMC3868537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Syngnathia (bony fusion of the upper and lower jaw) is a rare human congenital condition, with fewer than sixty cases reported in the literature. Syngnathia typically presents as part of a complex syndrome comprising widespread oral and maxillofacial anomalies, but it can also occur in isolation. Most cartilage, bone, and connective tissue of the head and face is derived from neural crest cells. Hence, congenital craniofacial anomalies are often attributed to defects in neural crest cell formation, survival, migration, or differentiation. The etiology and pathogenesis of syngnathia however remains unknown. Here, we report that Foxc1 null embryos display bony syngnathia together with defects in maxillary and mandibular structures, and agenesis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In the absence of Foxc1, neural crest cell derived osteogenic patterning is affected, as osteoblasts develop ectopically in the maxillary prominence and fuse with the dentary bone. Furthermore, we observed that the craniofacial musculature is also perturbed in Foxc1 null mice, which highlights the complex tissue interactions required for proper jaw development. We present evidence that Foxc1 and Fgf8 genetically interact and that Fgf8 dosage is associated with variation in the syngnathic phenotype. Together our data demonstrates that Foxc1 – Fgf8 signaling regulates mammalian jaw patterning and provides a mechanistic basis for the pathogenesis of syngnathia. Furthermore, our work provides a framework for understanding jaw patterning and the etiology of other congenital craniofacial anomalies, including temporomandibular joint agenesis. Approximately one-third of all babies born with congenital defects, exhibit malformations of the head and face. Anomalies can include cleft lip, cleft palate, and abnormal development of bones and muscles. Such defects result in significant infant mortality, as well as life-long physical and social consequences for patients. Improved repair and the development of prevention strategies requires a thorough understanding of the underlying genetic, molecular, and environmental factors that contribute to normal craniofacial development and the pathogenesis of disease. In this study, we report the first genetic model of syngnathia, a rare human craniofacial defect characterized by bony fusion of the upper and lower jaw. We discovered that Foxc1 is required for normal development of the bones and muscles of the jaw as well as the jaw joint. Our studies provide a mechanistic basis for understanding the cause of human syngnathia as well as the failure of jaw joint formation. Furthermore, our work enhances our knowledge of jaw development and may inform treatment strategies for patients with syngnathia and related craniofacial malformation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly E. Inman
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Patricia Purcell
- Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Paul A. Trainor
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Liu WB, Han F, Du XH, Jiang X, Li YH, Liu Y, Chen HQ, Ao L, Cui ZH, Cao J, Liu JY. Epigenetic silencing of Aristaless-like homeobox-4, a potential tumor suppressor gene associated with lung cancer. Int J Cancer 2013; 134:1311-22. [PMID: 24037716 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Using genome-wide methylation screening, we found Aristaless-like homeobox-4 (ALX4) preferentially methylated in lung cancer. ALX4 is a putative transcription factor that belongs to the family of paired-class homeoproteins involved in epithelial development. However, the role of ALX4 in tumorigenesis remains largely unclear. Here, we analyzed its epigenetic regulation, biological functions and related molecular mechanisms in lung cancer. CpG island methylation and expression of ALX4 were evaluated by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), bisulfite genomic sequencing, reverse-transcription PCR and Western blotting. ALX4 functions were determined by cell viability, colony formation, flow cytometry and in vivo tumorigenicity assays. ALX4 hypermethylation was detected in 55% (54/98) of primary lung cancers compared to none (0/20) of the normal lung tissue samples tested (p < 0.01). ALX4 was readily expressed in normal lung tissues with an unmethylated status, but downregulated or silenced in 90% (9/10) of lung cancer cell lines with a hypermethylation status. Demethylation experiments further confirmed that loss of ALX4 expression was regulated by CpG island hypermethylation. Re-expression of ALX4 in lung cancer cell lines suppressed cell viability, colony formation and migration, whereas it induced apoptosis and G1/S arrest and restrained the tumorigenicity in nude mice. These effects were associated with upregulation of proapoptotic proteins caspase-7, -8 and -9, and downregulation of Bcl-2. On the other hand, knockdown of ALX4 expression by siRNA increased cell viability and proliferation, whereas it inhibited apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, our results suggest that ALX4 is a novel putative tumor suppressor with epigenetic silencing in lung carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bin Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, China
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25
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Kappen C. Modeling anterior development in mice: diet as modulator of risk for neural tube defects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2013; 163C:333-56. [PMID: 24124024 PMCID: PMC4149464 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Head morphogenesis is a complex process that is controlled by multiple signaling centers. The most common defects of cranial development are craniofacial defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, and neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and encephalocoele in humans. More than 400 genes that contribute to proper neural tube closure have been identified in experimental animals, but only very few causative gene mutations have been identified in humans, supporting the notion that environmental influences are critical. The intrauterine environment is influenced by maternal nutrition, and hence, maternal diet can modulate the risk for cranial and neural tube defects. This article reviews recent progress toward a better understanding of nutrients during pregnancy, with particular focus on mouse models for defective neural tube closure. At least four major patterns of nutrient responses are apparent, suggesting that multiple pathways are involved in the response, and likely in the underlying pathogenesis of the defects. Folic acid has been the most widely studied nutrient, and the diverse responses of the mouse models to folic acid supplementation indicate that folic acid is not universally beneficial, but that the effect is dependent on genetic configuration. If this is the case for other nutrients as well, efforts to prevent neural tube defects with nutritional supplementation may need to become more specifically targeted than previously appreciated. Mouse models are indispensable for a better understanding of nutrient-gene interactions in normal pregnancies, as well as in those affected by metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity.
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26
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Ross AP, Mansilla MA, Choe Y, Helminski S, Sturm R, Maute RL, May SR, Hozyasz KK, Wójcicki P, Mostowska A, Davidson B, Adamopoulos IE, Pleasure SJ, Murray JC, Zarbalis KS. A mutation in mouse Pak1ip1 causes orofacial clefting while human PAK1IP1 maps to 6p24 translocation breaking points associated with orofacial clefting. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69333. [PMID: 23935987 PMCID: PMC3723895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Orofacial clefts are among the most common birth defects and result in an improper formation of the mouth or the roof of the mouth. Monosomy of the distal aspect of human chromosome 6p has been recognized as causative in congenital malformations affecting the brain and cranial skeleton including orofacial clefts. Among the genes located in this region is PAK1IP1, which encodes a nucleolar factor involved in ribosomal stress response. Here, we report the identification of a novel mouse line that carries a point mutation in the Pak1ip1 gene. Homozygous mutants show severe developmental defects of the brain and craniofacial skeleton, including a median orofacial cleft. We recovered this line of mice in a forward genetic screen and named the allele manta-ray (mray). Our findings prompted us to examine human cases of orofacial clefting for mutations in the PAK1IP1 gene or association with the locus. No deleterious variants in the PAK1IP1 gene coding region were recognized, however, we identified a borderline association effect for SNP rs494723 suggesting a possible role for the PAK1IP1 gene in human orofacial clefting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P. Ross
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - M. Adela Mansilla
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Youngshik Choe
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Simon Helminski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Richard Sturm
- Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roy L. Maute
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Scott R. May
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Kamil K. Hozyasz
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Wójcicki
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Wrocław Medical University, Polanica Zdroj, Poland
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical Centre, Polanica-Zdrój, Poland
| | - Adrianna Mostowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Beth Davidson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Iannis E. Adamopoulos
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Samuel J. Pleasure
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey C. Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Konstantinos S. Zarbalis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, Sacramento, California, United States of America
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27
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Differential configurations involving binding of USF transcription factors and Twist1 regulate Alx3 promoter activity in mesenchymal and pancreatic cells. Biochem J 2013. [PMID: 23181698 DOI: 10.1042/bj20120962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryonic development, the aristaless-type homeodomain protein Alx3 is expressed in the forehead mesenchyme and contributes to the regulation of craniofacial development. In the adult, Alx3 is expressed in pancreatic islets where it participates in the control of glucose homoeostasis. In the present study, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of Alx3 gene expression in these two cell types. We found that the Alx3 promoter contains two E-box regulatory elements, named EB1 and EB2, that provide binding sites for the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors Twist1, E47, USF (upstream stimulatory factor) 1 and USF2. In primary mouse embryonic mesenchymal cells isolated from the forehead, EB2 is bound by Twist1, whereas EB1 is bound by USF1 and USF2. Integrity of both EB1 and EB2 is required for Twist1-mediated transactivation of the Alx3 promoter, even though Twist1 does not bind to EB1, indicating that binding of USF1 and USF2 to this element is required for Twist1-dependent Alx3 promoter activity. In contrast, in pancreatic islet insulin-producing cells, the integrity of EB2 is not required for proximal promoter activity. The results of the present study indicate that USF1 and USF2 are important regulatory factors for Alx3 gene expression in different cell types, whereas Twist1 contributes to transcriptional transactivation in mesenchymal, but not in pancreatic, cells.
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28
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Compagnucci C, Debiais-Thibaud M, Coolen M, Fish J, Griffin JN, Bertocchini F, Minoux M, Rijli FM, Borday-Birraux V, Casane D, Mazan S, Depew MJ. Pattern and polarity in the development and evolution of the gnathostome jaw: both conservation and heterotopy in the branchial arches of the shark, Scyliorhinus canicula. Dev Biol 2013; 377:428-48. [PMID: 23473983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2012] [Revised: 01/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of jaws constitutes a landmark event in vertebrate evolution, one that in large part potentiated their success and diversification. Jaw development and patterning involves an intricate spatiotemporal series of reciprocal inductive and responsive interactions between the cephalic epithelia and the cranial neural crest (CNC) and cephalic mesodermal mesenchyme. The coordinated regulation of these interactions is critical for both the ontogenetic registration of the jaws and the evolutionary elaboration of variable jaw morphologies and designs. Current models of jaw development and evolution have been built on molecular and cellular evidence gathered mostly in amniotes such as mice, chicks and humans, and augmented by a much smaller body of work on the zebrafish. These have been partnered by essential work attempting to understand the origins of jaws that has focused on the jawless lamprey. Chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fish) are the most distant group to amniotes within extant gnathostomes, and comprise the crucial clade uniting amniotes and agnathans; yet despite their critical phylogenetic position, evidence of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of jaw development in chondrichthyans is still lacking. Recent advances in genome and molecular developmental biology of the lesser spotted dogfish shark, Scyliorhinus canicula, make it ideal for the molecular study of chondrichthyan jaw development. Here, following the 'Hinge and Caps' model of jaw development, we have investigated evidence of heterotopic (relative changes in position) and heterochronic (relative changes in timing) shifts in gene expression, relative to amniotes, in the jaw primordia of S. canicula embryos. We demonstrate the presence of clear proximo-distal polarity in gene expression patterns in the shark embryo, thus establishing a baseline molecular baüplan for branchial arch-derived jaw development and further validating the utility of the 'Hinge and Caps' model in comparative studies of jaw development and evolution. Moreover, we correlate gene expression patterns with the absence of a lambdoidal junction (formed where the maxillary first arch meets the frontonasal processes) in chondrichthyans, further highlighting the importance of this region for the development and evolution of jaw structure in advanced gnathostomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Compagnucci
- Department of Craniofacial Development, King's College London, Floor 27, Guy's Hospital, London Bridge, London SE1 9RT, UK
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29
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Gross JB, Kerney R, Hanken J, Tabin CJ. Molecular anatomy of the developing limb in the coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Evol Dev 2013; 13:415-26. [PMID: 23016903 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2011.00500.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate limb demonstrates remarkable similarity in basic organization across phylogenetically disparate groups. To gain further insight into how this morphological similarity is maintained in different developmental contexts, we explored the molecular anatomy of size-reduced embryos of the Puerto Rican coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. This animal demonstrates direct development, a life-history strategy marked by rapid progression from egg to adult and absence of a free-living, aquatic larva. Nonetheless, coquí exhibits a basal anuran limb structure, with four toes on the forelimb and five toes on the hind limb. We investigated the extent to which coquí limb bud development conforms to the model of limb development derived from amniote studies. Toward this end, we characterized dynamic patterns of expression for 13 critical patterning genes across three principle stages of limb development. As expected, most genes demonstrate expression patterns that are essentially unchanged compared to amniote species. For example, we identified an EcFgf8-expression domain within the apical ectodermal ridge (AER). This expression pattern defines a putatively functional AER signaling domain, despite the absence of a morphological ridge in coquí embryos. However, two genes, EcMeis2 and EcAlx4, demonstrate altered domains of expression, which imply a potential shift in gene function between coquí frogs and amniote model systems. Unexpectedly, several genes thought to be critical for limb patterning in other systems, including EcFgf4, EcWnt3a, EcWnt7a, and EcGremlin, demonstrated no evident expression pattern in the limb at the three stages we analyzed. The absence of EcFgf4 and EcWnt3a expression during limb patterning is perhaps not surprising, given that neither gene is critical for proper limb development in the mouse, based on knockout and expression analyses. In contrast, absence of EcWnt7a and EcGremlin is surprising, given that expression of these molecules appears to be absolutely essential in all other model systems so far examined. Although this analysis substantiates the existence of a core set of ancient limb-patterning molecules, which likely mediate identical functions across highly diverse vertebrate forms, it also reveals remarkable evolutionary flexibility in the genetic control of a conserved morphological pattern across evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B Gross
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Craniofacial development requires an exquisitely timed and positioned cross-talk between the embryonic cephalic epithelia and mesenchyme. This cross-talk underlies the precise translation of patterning processes and information into distinct, appropriate skeletal morphologies. The molecular and cellular dialogue includes communication via secreted signaling molecules, including Fgf8, and effectors of their interpretation. Herein, we use genetic attenuation of Fgf8 in mice and perform gain-of-function mouse-chick chimeric experiments to demonstrate that significant character states of the frontonasal and optic skeletons are dependent on Fgf8. Notably, we show that the normal orientation and polarity of the nasal capsules and their developing primordia are dependent on Fgf8. We further demonstrate that Fgf8 is required for midfacial integration, and provide evidence for a role for Fgf8 in optic capsular development. Taken together, our data highlight Fgf8 signaling in craniofacial development as a plausible target for evolutionary selective pressures.
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31
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Dee CT, Szymoniuk CR, Mills PED, Takahashi T. Defective neural crest migration revealed by a Zebrafish model of Alx1-related frontonasal dysplasia. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 22:239-51. [PMID: 23059813 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontonasal dysplasia (FND) refers to a class of midline facial malformations caused by abnormal development of the facial primordia. The term encompasses a spectrum of severities but characteristic features include combinations of ocular hypertelorism, malformations of the nose and forehead and clefting of the facial midline. Several recent studies have drawn attention to the importance of Alx homeobox transcription factors during craniofacial development. Most notably, loss of Alx1 has devastating consequences resulting in severe orofacial clefting and extreme microphthalmia. In contrast, mutations of Alx3 or Alx4 cause milder forms of FND. Whilst Alx1, Alx3 and Alx4 are all known to be expressed in the facial mesenchyme of vertebrate embryos, little is known about the function of these proteins during development. Here, we report the establishment of a zebrafish model of Alx-related FND. Morpholino knock-down of zebrafish alx1 expression causes a profound craniofacial phenotype including loss of the facial cartilages and defective ocular development. We demonstrate for the first time that Alx1 plays a crucial role in regulating the migration of cranial neural crest (CNC) cells into the frontonasal primordia. Abnormal neural crest migration is coincident with aberrant expression of foxd3 and sox10, two genes previously suggested to play key roles during neural crest development, including migration, differentiation and the maintenance of progenitor cells. This novel function is specific to Alx1, and likely explains the marked clinical severity of Alx1 mutation within the spectrum of Alx-related FND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris T Dee
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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Yagnik G, Ghuman A, Kim S, Stevens CG, Kimonis V, Stoler J, Sanchez-Lara PA, Bernstein JA, Naydenov C, Drissi H, Cunningham ML, Kim J, Boyadjiev SA. ALX4 gain-of-function mutations in nonsyndromic craniosynostosis. Hum Mutat 2012; 33:1626-9. [PMID: 22829454 DOI: 10.1002/humu.22166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Craniosynostosis is the early fusion of one or more sutures of the infant skull and is a common defect occurring in approximately 1 of every 2,500 live births. Nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (NSC) accounts for approximately 80% of all cases and is thought to have strong genetic determinants that are yet to be identified. ALX4 is a homeodomain transcription factor with known involvement in osteoblast regulation. By direct sequencing of the ALX4 coding region in sagittal or sagittal-suture-involved nonsyndromic craniosynostosis probands, we identified novel, nonsynonymous, familial variants in three of 203 individuals with NSC. Using dual-luciferase assay we show that two of these variants (V7F and K211E) confer a significant gain-of-function effect on ALX4. Our results suggest that ALX4 variants may have an impact on the genetic etiology of NSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Yagnik
- Section of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Abstract
Tissue fusion events during embryonic development are crucial for the correct formation and function of many organs and tissues, including the heart, neural tube, eyes, face and body wall. During tissue fusion, two opposing tissue components approach one another and integrate to form a continuous tissue; disruption of this process leads to a variety of human birth defects. Genetic studies, together with recent advances in the ability to culture developing tissues, have greatly enriched our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in tissue fusion. This review aims to bring together what is currently known about tissue fusion in several developing mammalian organs and highlights some of the questions that remain to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Ray
- HHMI, Department of Pediatrics, Cell Biology Stem Cells and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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34
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Phillips HM, Papoutsi T, Soenen H, Ybot-Gonzalez P, Henderson DJ, Chaudhry B. Neural crest cell survival is dependent on Rho kinase and is required for development of the mid face in mouse embryos. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37685. [PMID: 22629443 PMCID: PMC3357402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural crest cells (NCC) give rise to much of the tissue that forms the vertebrate head and face, including cartilage and bone, cranial ganglia and teeth. In this study we show that conditional expression of a dominant-negative (DN) form of Rho kinase (Rock) in mouse NCC results in severe hypoplasia of the frontonasal processes and first pharyngeal arch, ultimately resulting in reduction of the maxilla and nasal bones and severe craniofacial clefting affecting the nose, palate and lip. These defects resemble frontonasal dysplasia in humans. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, which leads to abnormalities in cell-matrix attachment, is seen in the RockDN;Wnt1-cre mutant embryos. This leads to elevated cell death, resulting in NCC deficiency and hypoplastic NCC-derived craniofacial structures. Rock is thus essential for survival of NCC that form the craniofacial region. We propose that reduced NCC numbers in the frontonasal processes and first pharyngeal arch, resulting from exacerbated cell death, may be the common mechanism underlying frontonasal dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Phillips
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Tania Papoutsi
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Soenen
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Deborah J. Henderson
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Bill Chaudhry
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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35
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Sági B, Maraghechi P, Urbán VS, Hegyi B, Szigeti A, Fajka-Boja R, Kudlik G, Német K, Monostori É, Gócza E, Uher F. Positional Identity of Murine Mesenchymal Stem Cells Resident in Different Organs Is Determined in the Postsegmentation Mesoderm. Stem Cells Dev 2012; 21:814-28. [DOI: 10.1089/scd.2011.0551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bernadett Sági
- National Blood Service, Stem Cell Biology Unit, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Veronika S. Urbán
- National Blood Service, Stem Cell Biology Unit, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta Hegyi
- National Blood Service, Stem Cell Biology Unit, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Szigeti
- National Blood Service, Laboratory of Experimental Gene Therapy, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Roberta Fajka-Boja
- Lymphocyte Signal Transduction Laboratory, Biological Research Center of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Genetics, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gyöngyi Kudlik
- National Blood Service, Stem Cell Biology Unit, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Német
- National Blood Service, Laboratory of Experimental Gene Therapy, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Monostori
- Lymphocyte Signal Transduction Laboratory, Biological Research Center of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Genetics, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elen Gócza
- Agricultural Biotechnology Center, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Uher
- National Blood Service, Stem Cell Biology Unit, Budapest, Hungary
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36
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McGonnell IM, Graham A, Richardson J, Fish JL, Depew MJ, Dee CT, Holland PWH, Takahashi T. Evolution of the Alx homeobox gene family: parallel retention and independent loss of the vertebrate Alx3 gene. Evol Dev 2011; 13:343-51. [PMID: 21740507 PMCID: PMC3166657 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2011.00489.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The Alx gene family is implicated in craniofacial development and comprises two to four homeobox genes in each vertebrate genome analyzed. Using phylogenetics and comparative genomics, we show that the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates had three Alx genes descendent from the two-round genome duplications (Alx1, Alx3, Alx4), compared with a single amphioxus gene. Later in evolution one of the paralogues, Alx3, was lost independently from at least three different vertebrate lineages, whereas Alx1 and Alx4 were consistently retained. Comparison of spatial gene expression patterns reveals that the three mouse genes have equivalent craniofacial expression to the two chick and frog genes, suggesting that redundancy compensated for gene loss. We suggest that multiple independent loss of one Alx gene was predisposed by extensive and persistent overlap in gene expression between Alx paralogues. Even so, it is unclear whether it was coincidence or evolutionary bias that resulted in the same Alx gene being lost on each occasion, rather than different members of the gene family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imelda M McGonnell
- Reproduction and Development, The Royal Veterinary CollegeRoyal College Street, London NW1 0TU, UK
| | - Anthony Graham
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, New Hunt's HouseGuy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Joanna Richardson
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, New Hunt's HouseGuy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Jennifer L Fish
- Department of Craniofacial Development, King's College London, Guy's HospitalLondon Bridge, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Michael J Depew
- Department of Craniofacial Development, King's College London, Guy's HospitalLondon Bridge, London SE1 9RT, UK
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Francisco2550 24th Street, SFGH Bldg 9, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Chris T Dee
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith BuildingOxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Peter WH Holland
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordTinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Tokiharu Takahashi
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith BuildingOxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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Acquafreda T, Nunes FD, Soprano DR, Soprano KJ. Expression of homeobox genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines treated with all-trans retinoic acid. J Cell Biochem 2011; 111:1437-44. [PMID: 20830740 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.22871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may arise from potentially malignant oral lesions. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA), which plays a role in cell growth and differentiation, has been studied as a possible chemotherapeutic agent in the prevention of this progression. While the mechanism by which atRA suppresses cell growth has not been completely elucidated, it is known that homeobox genes are atRA targets. To determine if these genes are involved in the atRA-mediated OSCC growth inhibition, PCR array was performed to evaluate the expression of 84 homeobox genes in atRA-sensitive SCC-25 cells compared to atRA-resistant SCC-9 cells following 7 days with atRA treatment. Results showed that the expression of 8 homeobox genes was downregulated and expression of 4 was upregulated in SCC-25 cells but not in SCC-9 cells. Gene expression levels were confirmed for seven of these genes by RT-qPCR. Expression of three genes that showed threefold downregulation was evaluated in SCC-25 cells treated with atRA for 3, 5, and 7 days. Three different patterns of atRA-dependent gene expression were observed. ALX1 showed downregulation only on day 7. DLX3 showed reduced expression on day 3 and further reduced on day 7. TLX1 showed downregulation only on days 5 and 7. Clearly the expression of homeobox genes is modulated by atRA in OSCC cell lines. However, the time course of this modulation suggests that these genes are not direct targets of atRA mediating OSCC growth suppression. Instead they appear to act as downstream effectors of atRA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Acquafreda
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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38
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Krawchuk D, Weiner SJ, Chen YT, Lu BC, Costantini F, Behringer RR, Laufer E. Twist1 activity thresholds define multiple functions in limb development. Dev Biol 2010; 347:133-46. [PMID: 20732316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2010] [Revised: 08/13/2010] [Accepted: 08/16/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Twist1 is essential for normal limb development. Twist1(-/-) embryos die at midgestation. However, studies on early limb buds found that Twist1(-/-) mutant limb mesenchyme has an impaired response to FGF signaling from the apical ectodermal ridge, which disrupts the feedback loop between the mesenchyme and AER, and reduces and shifts anteriorly Shh expression in the zone of polarizing activity. We have combined Twist1 null, hypomorph and conditional alleles to generate a Twist1 allelic series that survives to birth. As Twist1 activity is reduced, limb skeletal defects progress from preaxial polydactyly to girdle reduction combined with hypoplasia, aplasia or mirror symmetry of all limb segments. With reduced Twist1 activity there is striking and progressive upregulation of ectopic Shh expression in the anterior of the limb, combined with an anterior shift in the posterior Shh domain, which is expressed at normal intensity, and loss of the posterior AER. Consequently limb outgrowth is initially impaired, before an ectopic anterior Shh domain expands the AER, promoting additional growth and repatterning. Reducing the dosage of FGF targets of the Etv gene family, which are known repressors of Shh expression in anterior limb mesenchyme, strongly enhances the anterior skeletal phenotype. Conversely this and other phenotypes are suppressed by reducing the dosage of the Twist1 antagonist Hand2. Our data support a model whereby multiple Twist1 activity thresholds contribute to early limb bud patterning, and suggest how particular combinations of skeletal defects result from differing amounts of Twist1 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayana Krawchuk
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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39
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Lakhwani S, García-Sanz P, Vallejo M. Alx3-deficient mice exhibit folic acid-resistant craniofacial midline and neural tube closure defects. Dev Biol 2010; 344:869-80. [PMID: 20534379 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2009] [Revised: 06/01/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neural tube closure defects are among the most frequent congenital malformations in humans. Supplemental maternal intake of folic acid before and during pregnancy reduces their incidence significantly, but the mechanism underlying this preventive effect is unknown. As a number of genes that cause neural tube closure defects encode transcriptional regulators in mice, one possibility is that folic acid could induce the expression of transcription factors to compensate for the primary genetic defect. We report that folic acid is required in mouse embryos for the specific expression of the homeodomain gene Alx3 in the head mesenchyme, an important tissue for cranial neural tube closure. Alx3-deficient mice exhibit increased failure of cranial neural tube closure and increased cell death in the craniofacial region, two effects that are also observed in wild type embryos developing in the absence of folic acid. Folic acid cannot prevent these defects in Alx3-deficient embryos, indicating that one mechanism of folic acid action is through induced expression of Alx3. Thus, Alx3 emerges as a candidate gene for human neural tube defects and reveals the existence of induced transcription factor gene expression as a previously unknown mechanism by which folic acid prevents neural tube closure defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sita Lakhwani
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
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40
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Miyazono KI, Zhi Y, Takamura Y, Nagata K, Saigo K, Kojima T, Tanokura M. Cooperative DNA-binding and sequence-recognition mechanism of aristaless and clawless. EMBO J 2010; 29:1613-23. [PMID: 20389279 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2009] [Accepted: 03/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
To achieve accurate gene regulation, some homeodomain proteins bind cooperatively to DNA to increase those site specificities. We report a ternary complex structure containing two homeodomain proteins, aristaless (Al) and clawless (Cll), bound to DNA. Our results show that the extended conserved sequences of the Cll homeodomain are indispensable to cooperative DNA binding. In the Al-Cll-DNA complex structure, the residues in the extended regions are used not only for the intermolecular contacts between the two homeodomain proteins but also for the sequence-recognition mechanism of DNA by direct interactions. The residues in the extended N-terminal arm lie within the minor groove of DNA to form direct interactions with bases, whereas the extended conserved region of the C-terminus of the homeodomain interacts with Al to stabilize and localize the third alpha helix of the Cll homeodomain. This structure suggests a novel mode for the cooperativity of homeodomain proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-ichi Miyazono
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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41
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Zhang H, Fraser ST, Papazoglu C, Hoatlin ME, Baron MH. Transcriptional activation by the Mixl1 homeodomain protein in differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 2010; 27:2884-95. [PMID: 19711456 DOI: 10.1002/stem.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Mix/Bix family of paired class homeobox genes play important roles in the development of vertebrate mesoderm and endoderm. The single Mix/Bix family member identified in the mouse, Mix-like 1 (Mixl1), is required for mesendoderm patterning during gastrulation and promotes mesoderm formation and hematopoiesis in embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived embryoid bodies. Despite its crucial functions the transcriptional activity and targets of Mixl1 have not been well described. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of Mixl1-mediated transcriptional regulation, we have characterized the DNA-binding specificity and transcriptional properties of this homeodomain protein in differentiating ESCs. Mixl1 binds preferentially as a dimer to an 11-base pair (bp) Mixl1 binding sequence (MBS) that contains two inverted repeats separated by a 3-bp spacer. The MBS mediates transcriptional activation by Mixl1 in both NIH 3T3 cells and in a new application of an inducible ESC differentiation system. Consistent with our previous observation that early induction of Mixl1 expression in ESCs results in premature activation of Goosecoid (Gsc), we have found that Mixl1 occupies two variant MBSs within and activates transcription from the Gsc promoter in vitro and in vivo. These results strongly suggest that Gsc is a direct target gene of Mixl1 during embryogenesis. STEM CELLS 2009;27:2884-2895.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailan Zhang
- Departments of MedicineMount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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42
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43
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Twigg SR, Versnel SL, Nürnberg G, Lees MM, Bhat M, Hammond P, Hennekam RC, Hoogeboom AJM, Hurst JA, Johnson D, Robinson AA, Scambler PJ, Gerrelli D, Nürnberg P, Mathijssen IM, Wilkie AO. Frontorhiny, a distinctive presentation of frontonasal dysplasia caused by recessive mutations in the ALX3 homeobox gene. Am J Hum Genet 2009; 84:698-705. [PMID: 19409524 PMCID: PMC2681074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2009] [Revised: 04/03/2009] [Accepted: 04/14/2009] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a recessively inherited frontonasal malformation characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, with hypertelorism, wide nasal bridge, short nasal ridge, bifid nasal tip, broad columella, widely separated slit-like nares, long philtrum with prominent bilateral swellings, and midline notch in the upper lip and alveolus. Additional recurrent features present in a minority of individuals have been upper eyelid ptosis and midline dermoid cysts of craniofacial structures. Assuming recessive inheritance, we mapped the locus in three families to chromosome 1 and identified mutations in ALX3, which is located at band 1p13.3 and encodes the aristaless-related ALX homeobox 3 transcription factor. In total, we identified seven different homozygous pathogenic mutations in seven families. These mutations comprise missense substitutions at critical positions within the conserved homeodomain as well as nonsense, frameshift, and splice-site mutations, all predicting severe or complete loss of function. Our findings contrast with previous studies of the orthologous murine gene, which showed no phenotype in Alx3(-/-) homozygotes, apparently as a result of functional redundancy with the paralogous Alx4 gene. We conclude that ALX3 is essential for normal facial development in humans and that deficiency causes a clinically recognizable phenotype, which we term frontorhiny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R.F. Twigg
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Sarah L. Versnel
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gudrun Nürnberg
- Cologne Center for Genomics and Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Melissa M. Lees
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- North Thames Cleft Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | | | - Peter Hammond
- Molecular Medicine Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Raoul C.M. Hennekam
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- Clinical and Molecular Genetics Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Pediatrics, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jane A. Hurst
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Alexis A. Robinson
- Neural Development Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Peter J. Scambler
- Molecular Medicine Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Dianne Gerrelli
- Human Developmental Biology Resource, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Peter Nürnberg
- Cologne Center for Genomics and Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, D-50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Irene M.J. Mathijssen
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew O.M. Wilkie
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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44
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See AWM, Kaiser ME, White JC, Clagett-Dame M. A nutritional model of late embryonic vitamin A deficiency produces defects in organogenesis at a high penetrance and reveals new roles for the vitamin in skeletal development. Dev Biol 2008; 316:171-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2007] [Revised: 09/18/2007] [Accepted: 10/16/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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45
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The etiopathogenesis of cleft lip and cleft palate: usefulness and caveats of mouse models. Curr Top Dev Biol 2008; 84:37-138. [PMID: 19186243 DOI: 10.1016/s0070-2153(08)00602-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Cleft lip and cleft palate are frequent human congenital malformations with a complex multifactorial etiology. These orofacial clefts can occur as part of a syndrome involving multiple organs or as isolated clefts without other detectable defects. Both forms of clefting constitute a heavy burden to the affected individuals and their next of kin. Human and mouse facial traits are utterly dissimilar. However, embryonic development of the lip and palate are strikingly similar in both species, making the mouse a model of choice to study their normal and abnormal development. Human epidemiological and genetic studies are clearly important for understanding the etiology of lip and palate clefting. However, our current knowledge about the etiopathogenesis of these malformations has mainly been gathered throughout the years from mouse models, including those with mutagen-, teratogen- and targeted mutation-induced clefts as well as from mice with spontaneous clefts. This review provides a comprehensive description of the numerous mouse models for cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Despite a few weak points, these models have revealed a high order of molecular complexity as well as the stringent spatiotemporal regulations and interactions between key factors which govern the development of these orofacial structures.
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46
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Weston AD, Ozolins TRS, Brown NA. Thoracic skeletal defects and cardiac malformations: a common epigenetic link? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 78:354-70. [PMID: 17315248 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.20084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects in humans. In addition, cardiac malformations represent the most frequently identified anomaly in teratogenicity experiments with laboratory animals. To explore the mechanisms of these drug-induced defects, we developed a model in which pregnant rats are treated with dimethadione, resulting in a high incidence of heart malformations. Interestingly, these heart defects were accompanied by thoracic skeletal malformations (cleft sternum, fused ribs, extra or missing ribs, and/or wavy ribs), which are characteristic of anterior-posterior (A/P) homeotic transformations and/or disruptions at one or more stages in somite development. A review of other teratogenicity studies suggests that the co-occurrence of these two disparate malformations is not unique to dimethadione, rather it may be a more general phenomenon caused by various structurally unrelated agents. The coexistence of cardiac and thoracic skeletal malformations has also presented clinically, suggesting a mechanistic link between cardiogenesis and skeletal development. Evidence from genetically modified mice reveals that several genes are common to heart development and to formation of the axial skeleton. Some of these genes are important in regulating chromatin architecture, while others are tightly controlled by chromatin-modifying proteins. This review focuses on the role of these epigenetic factors in development of the heart and axial skeleton, and examines the hypothesis that posttranslational modifications of core histones may be altered by some developmental toxicants.
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MESH Headings
- Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/etiology
- Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/genetics
- Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/metabolism
- Abnormalities, Multiple/etiology
- Abnormalities, Multiple/genetics
- Abnormalities, Multiple/metabolism
- Animals
- Bone and Bones/abnormalities
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Female
- Heart Defects, Congenital/etiology
- Heart Defects, Congenital/genetics
- Heart Defects, Congenital/metabolism
- Histones/metabolism
- Humans
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- Models, Biological
- Pregnancy
- Protein Processing, Post-Translational
- Ribs/abnormalities
- Sternum/abnormalities
- Teratogens/toxicity
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea D Weston
- Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Center of Emphasis, Drug Safety Research, and Development, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, USA
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47
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Jiang R, Bush JO, Lidral AC. Development of the upper lip: morphogenetic and molecular mechanisms. Dev Dyn 2006; 235:1152-66. [PMID: 16292776 PMCID: PMC2562450 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate upper lip forms from initially freely projecting maxillary, medial nasal, and lateral nasal prominences at the rostral and lateral boundaries of the primitive oral cavity. These facial prominences arise during early embryogenesis from ventrally migrating neural crest cells in combination with the head ectoderm and mesoderm and undergo directed growth and expansion around the nasal pits to actively fuse with each other. Initial fusion is between lateral and medial nasal processes and is followed by fusion between maxillary and medial nasal processes. Fusion between these prominences involves active epithelial filopodial and adhering interactions as well as programmed cell death. Slight defects in growth and patterning of the facial mesenchyme or epithelial fusion result in cleft lip with or without cleft palate, the most common and disfiguring craniofacial birth defect. Recent studies of craniofacial development in animal models have identified components of several major signaling pathways, including Bmp, Fgf, Shh, and Wnt signaling, that are critical for proper midfacial morphogenesis and/or lip fusion. There is also accumulating evidence that these signaling pathways cross-regulate genetically as well as crosstalk intracellularly to control cell proliferation and tissue patterning. This review will summarize the current understanding of the basic morphogenetic processes and molecular mechanisms underlying upper lip development and discuss the complex interactions of the various signaling pathways and challenges for understanding cleft lip pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rulang Jiang
- Center for Oral Biology and Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
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48
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Depew MJ, Simpson CA. 21st century neontology and the comparative development of the vertebrate skull. Dev Dyn 2006; 235:1256-91. [PMID: 16598716 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Classic neontology (comparative embryology and anatomy), through the application of the concept of homology, has demonstrated that the development of the gnathostome (jawed vertebrate) skull is characterized both by a fidelity to the gnathostome bauplan and the exquisite elaboration of final structural design. Just as homology is an old concept amended for modern purposes, so are many of the questions regarding the development of the skull. With due deference to Geoffroy-St. Hilaire, Cuvier, Owen, Lankester et al., we are still asking: How are bauplan fidelity and elaboration of design maintained, coordinated, and modified to generate the amazing diversity seen in cranial morphologies? What establishes and maintains pattern in the skull? Are there universal developmental mechanisms underlying gnathostome autapomorphic structural traits? Can we detect and identify the etiologies of heterotopic (change in the topology of a developmental event), heterochronic (change in the timing of a developmental event), and heterofacient (change in the active capacetence, or the elaboration of capacity, of a developmental event) changes in craniofacial development within and between taxa? To address whether jaws are all made in a like manner (and if not, then how not), one needs a starting point for the sake of comparison. To this end, we present here a "hinge and caps" model that places the articulation, and subsequently the polarity and modularity, of the upper and lower jaws in the context of cranial neural crest competence to respond to positionally located epithelial signals. This model expands on an evolving model of polarity within the mandibular arch and seeks to explain a developmental patterning system that apparently keeps gnathostome jaws in functional registration yet tractable to potential changes in functional demands over time. It relies upon a system for the establishment of positional information where pattern and placement of the "hinge" is driven by factors common to the junction of the maxillary and mandibular branches of the first arch and of the "caps" by the signals emanating from the distal-most first arch midline and the lamboidal junction (where the maxillary branch meets the frontonasal processes). In this particular model, the functional registration of jaws is achieved by the integration of "hinge" and "caps" signaling, with the "caps" sharing at some critical level a developmental history that potentiates their own coordination. We examine the evidential foundation for this model in mice, examine the robustness with which it can be applied to other taxa, and examine potential proximate sources of the signaling centers. Lastly, as developmental biologists have long held that the anterior-most mesendoderm (anterior archenteron roof or prechordal plate) is in some way integral to the normal formation of the head, including the cranial skeletal midlines, we review evidence that the seminal patterning influences on the early anterior ectoderm extend well beyond the neural plate and are just as important to establishing pattern within the cephalic ectoderm, in particular for the "caps" that will yield medial signaling centers known to coordinate jaw development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Depew
- Department of Craniofacial Development, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London Bridge, London, United Kingdom.
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49
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Ebert MPA, Model F, Mooney S, Hale K, Lograsso J, Tonnes-Priddy L, Hoffmann J, Csepregi A, Röcken C, Molnar B, Schulz HU, Malfertheiner P, Lofton-Day C. Aristaless-like homeobox-4 gene methylation is a potential marker for colorectal adenocarcinomas. Gastroenterology 2006; 131:1418-30. [PMID: 17101318 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2006.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2005] [Accepted: 08/03/2006] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The identification of novel genetic and epigenetic markers indicative of changes in the pathogenesis of colon cancer, along with easier-to-use, more sensitive assay methods, may improve the detection, treatment, and overall prognosis of this malignancy. METHODS Using methylation-specific arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction, a fragment of the Aristaless-like homeobox-4 (ALX4) gene that was highly methylated in colon adenomas and cancer was identified. Methylation of ALX4 was analyzed in colorectal adenomas and cancers, in the liver metastases of patients with colorectal cancer, and in 61 other neoplasias, including gastric, esophageal, and hepatocellular cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. ALX4 methylation was also analyzed in the serum of 30 patients with colon cancer. RESULTS ALX4 gene methylation was confirmed in colon adenomas (11/13) and more frequently present in primary colorectal cancers (30/47) compared with the normal colon mucosa (0/21) (P < .0001). In addition, ALX4 methylation was frequently observed in adenocarcinomas of the esophagus (12/14), stomach (11/15), and bile ducts (4/5) compared with all other cancers (P < .001). ALX4 gene methylation was also more frequently found in sera of patients with colon cancer compared with noncancer controls (P < .0001). Using a cutoff of 41.4 pg/mL, sensitivity and specificity were 83.3% and 70%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Apart from colon adenomas and primary and metastatic colorectal cancers, ALX4 is frequently methylated in adenocarcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract. ALX4 gene methylation in sera of patients with cancer may thus serve as a methylation-specific test for colon and other gastrointestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias P A Ebert
- Epigenomics Inc, Seattle, Washington; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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50
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Gritli-Linde A. Molecular control of secondary palate development. Dev Biol 2006; 301:309-26. [PMID: 16942766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Revised: 07/24/2006] [Accepted: 07/28/2006] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Compared with the embryonic development of other organs, development of the secondary palate is seemingly simple. However, each step of palatogenesis, from initiation until completion, is subject to a tight molecular control that is governed by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. The importance of a rigorous molecular regulation of palatogenesis is reflected when loss of function of a single protein generates cleft palate, a frequent malformation with a complex etiology. Genetic studies in humans and targeted mutations in mice have identified numerous factors that play key roles during palatogenesis. This review highlights the current understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in normal and abnormal palate development with special respect to recent advances derived from studies of mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Gritli-Linde
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Medicinaregatan 12F, Göteborg, Sweden.
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