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Chen SY, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Hsu D, Tseng SCG. HC-HA/PTX3 from amniotic membrane reverts senescent limbal niche cells to Pax6+ neural crest progenitors to support limbal epithelial progenitors. Stem Cells 2021; 39:280-295. [PMID: 33373496 PMCID: PMC7986837 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3323] [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: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Quiescence and self‐renewal of human corneal epithelial progenitor/stem cells (LEPC) are regulated by the limbal niche, presumably through close interaction with limbal (stromal) niche cells (LNC). Paired box homeotic gene 6 (Pax6), a conserved transcription factor essential for eye development, is essential for proper differentiation of limbal and corneal epithelial stem cells. Pax6 haploinsufficiency causes limbal stem cell deficiency, which leads to subsequent corneal blindness. We previously reported that serial passage of nuclear Pax6+ LNC resulted in the gradual loss of nuclear Pax6+ and neural crest progenitor status, the latter of which was reverted upon recovery of Pax6. These findings suggest Pax6 plays a pivotal role in supporting the self‐renewal of LEPC in limbal niche. Herein, we show that HC‐HA/PTX3, a unique matrix purified from amniotic membrane (AM) and consists of heavy chain 1of inter‐α‐trypsin inhibitor covalently linked to hyaluronic acid and complexed with pentraxin 3, is capable of reverting senescent LNC to nuclear Pax6+ neural crest progenitors that support self‐renewal of LEPC. Such reversion is causally linked to early cell aggregation mediated by activation of C‐X‐C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4)‐mediated signaling followed by activation of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Furthermore, CXCR4‐mediated signaling, but not BMP signaling, controls recovery of the nuclear Pax6+ neural crest progenitors. These findings not only explain why AM helps in vivo and ex vivo expansion of human LEPC, but they also illuminate the potential role of HC‐HA/PTX3 as a surrogate matrix niche that complements stem cell‐based therapies in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szu-Yu Chen
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Yingting Zhu
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Yuan Zhang
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - David Hsu
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc, Miami, Florida, USA
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Williams AL, Bohnsack BL. The Ocular Neural Crest: Specification, Migration, and Then What? Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:595896. [PMID: 33425902 PMCID: PMC7785809 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.595896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During vertebrate embryonic development, a population of dorsal neural tube-derived stem cells, termed the neural crest (NC), undergo a series of morphogenetic changes and extensive migration to become a diverse array of cell types. Around the developing eye, this multipotent ocular NC cell population, called the periocular mesenchyme (POM), comprises migratory mesenchymal cells that eventually give rise to many of the elements in the anterior of the eye, such as the cornea, sclera, trabecular meshwork, and iris. Molecular cell biology and genetic analyses of congenital eye diseases have provided important information on the regulation of NC contributions to this area of the eye. Nevertheless, a complete understanding of the NC as a contributor to ocular development remains elusive. In addition, positional information during ocular NC migration and the molecular pathways that regulate end tissue differentiation have yet to be fully elucidated. Further, the clinical challenges of ocular diseases, such as Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS), Peters anomaly (PA) and primary congenital glaucoma (PCG), strongly suggest the need for better treatments. While several aspects of NC evolution have recently been reviewed, this discussion will consolidate the most recent current knowledge on the specification, migration, and contributions of the NC to ocular development, highlighting the anterior segment and the knowledge obtained from the clinical manifestations of its associated diseases. Ultimately, this knowledge can inform translational discoveries with potential for sorely needed regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antionette L Williams
- Division of Ophthalmology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Brenda L Bohnsack
- Division of Ophthalmology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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Grocott T, Lozano-Velasco E, Mok GF, Münsterberg AE. The Pax6 master control gene initiates spontaneous retinal development via a self-organising Turing network. Development 2020; 147:dev185827. [PMID: 33214222 PMCID: PMC7774904 DOI: 10.1242/dev.185827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how complex organ systems are assembled from simple embryonic tissues is a major challenge. Across the animal kingdom a great diversity of visual organs are initiated by a 'master control gene' called Pax6, which is both necessary and sufficient for eye development. Yet precisely how Pax6 achieves this deeply homologous function is poorly understood. Using the chick as a model organism, we show that vertebrate Pax6 interacts with a pair of morphogen-coding genes, Tgfb2 and Fst, to form a putative Turing network, which we have computationally modelled. Computer simulations suggest that this gene network is sufficient to spontaneously polarise the developing retina, establishing the first organisational axis of the eye and prefiguring its further development. Our findings reveal how retinal self-organisation may be initiated independently of the highly ordered tissue interactions that help to assemble the eye in vivo These results help to explain how stem cell aggregates spontaneously self-organise into functional eye-cups in vitro We anticipate these findings will help to underpin retinal organoid technology, which holds much promise as a platform for disease modelling, drug development and regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Grocott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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54
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Morphometric analysis of the lens in human aniridia and mouse Small eye. Exp Eye Res 2020; 203:108371. [PMID: 33248069 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Congenital aniridia is caused by heterozygous mutations in the PAX6 gene. In this disease, congenital iris and foveal hypoplasia is associated with juvenile onset cataract, glaucoma, and corneal keratopathy. In rodents, Pax6 mutations result in a congenital reduction in ocular size that is not typically described in human aniridia. Here, the ocular morphometry of aniridia patients is compared with the lens phenotype of Pax6+/tm1/Pgr mice to reveal whether there are species differences in Pax6 regulation of lens development and homeostasis. Ultrasound biometry (UBM) revealed that eleven percent of aniridia patients exhibited mild microphthalmia while the anterior chamber depth of aniridic eyes was significantly reduced from 6 months of age onward. Although aniridic lens thickness was normal from birth, it was significantly decreased in aniridic lenses older than 30. Notably, 86% of aniridic lenses exhibited cataractous changes in this cohort. In addition, a significant proportion of aniridia patients develop lens subluxation as they age associated with reduced lens diameter as measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Analysis of young adult Pax6+/tm1/Pgr mouse lenses by micro-computed tomography (microCT), bright field and dark field imaging revealed that they are reduced in size but did not exhibit overt cataracts at this age. Overall, this study reveals that congenital microphthalmia as assessed by axial length, or microphakia, as assessed by lens thickness, are not typical in human aniridia, although these are primary manifestations of Pax6 mutations in mice, suggesting that PAX6 regulates some aspects of lens development differently between these species.
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Abstract
For centuries, the eye has fascinated scientists and philosophers alike, and as a result the visual system has always been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technology in research. We are again at a turning point at which technical advances have expanded the range of organisms we can study developmentally and deepened what we can learn. In this new era, we are finally able to understand eye development in animals across the phylogenetic tree. In this Review, we highlight six areas in comparative visual system development that address questions that are important for understanding the developmental basis of evolutionary change. We focus on the opportunities now available to biologists to study the developmental genetics, cell biology and morphogenesis that underlie the incredible variation of visual organs found across the Metazoa. Although decades of important work focused on gene expression has suggested homologies and potential evolutionary relationships between the eyes of diverse animals, it is time for developmental biologists to move away from this reductive approach. We now have the opportunity to celebrate the differences and diversity in visual organs found across animal development, and to learn what it can teach us about the fundamental principles of biological systems and how they are built.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Koenig
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Gross
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Moazzeni H, Khani M, Elahi E. Insights into the regulatory molecules involved in glaucoma pathogenesis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 184:782-827. [PMID: 32935930 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is an important cause of irreversible blindness, characterized by optic nerve anomalies. Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and aging are major risk factors. Retinal ganglion cells and trabecular meshwork cells are certainly involved in the etiology of glaucoma. Glaucoma is usually a complex disease, and various genes and functions may contribute to its etiology. Among these may be genes that encode regulatory molecules. In this review, regulatory molecules including 18 transcription factors (TFs), 195 microRNAs (miRNAs), 106 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and two circular RNAs (circRNAs) that are reasonable candidates for having roles in glaucoma pathogenesis are described. The targets of the regulators are reported. Glaucoma-related features including apoptosis, stress responses, immune functions, ECM properties, IOP, and eye development are affected by the targeted genes. The targeted genes that are frequently targeted by multiple regulators most often affect apoptosis and the related features of cell death and cell survival. BCL2, CDKN1A, and TP53 are among the frequent targets of three types of glaucoma-relevant regulators, TFs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs. TP53 was itself identified as a glaucoma-relevant TF. Several of the glaucoma-relevant TFs are themselves among frequent targets of regulatory molecules, which is consistent with existence of a complex network involved in glaucoma pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Moazzeni
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Khani
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Elahi
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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Gao Y, Zhang X, Zhang X, Yuan J, Xiang J, Li F. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutation reveals Pax6 is essential for development of the compound eye in Decapoda Exopalaemon carinicauda. Dev Biol 2020; 465:157-167. [PMID: 32702356 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The compound eye in crustaceans is a main eye type in the animal kingdom, knowledge about the mechanism to determine the development of compound eye is very limited. Paired box protein 6 (Pax6) is generally regarded as a master regulator for eye development. In the present study, a genome-based analysis of the Pax6 gene in the ridge tail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda was performed and two members of Pax6 homologs, named Ec-Eyeless (EcEy) and Ec-Twin of eyeless (EcToy) were identified. To understand the function of these two homologs of Pax6 gene in the prawn, the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technique was applied to generate EcEy and EcToy knock-out (KO) prawns and their phenotypes were analyzed. The surviving EcEy-KO embryos and larvae exhibited severe abnormal eye morphology, suggesting that EcEy is necessary for the compound eye development in prawn, while no mutant phenotype was found in EcToy-KO individuals. These findings highlighted the conservative role of Pax6 gene in the compound eye formation, and the functional differentiation between EcEy and EcToy gene may reveal a novel regulating mechanism of Pax6 on the compound eye development in the decapods. These data will provide important information for understanding the regulation mechanism for crustacean compound eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Gao
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Jianbo Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Jianhai Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266237, China
| | - Fuhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.
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Tseng SCG, Chen SY, Mead OG, Tighe S. Niche regulation of limbal epithelial stem cells: HC-HA/PTX3 as surrogate matrix niche. Exp Eye Res 2020; 199:108181. [PMID: 32795525 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Homeostasis of the corneal epithelium is ultimately maintained by stem cells that reside in a specialized microenvironment within the corneal limbus termed palisades of Vogt. This limbal niche nourishes, protects, and regulates quiescence, self-renewal, and fate decision of limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LEPCs) toward corneal epithelial differentiation. This review focuses on our current understanding of the mechanism by which limbal (stromal) niche cells (LNCs) regulate the aforementioned functions of LEPCs. Based on our discovery and characterization of a unique extracellular matrix termed HC-HA/PTX3 (Heavy chain (HC1)-hyaluronan (HA)/pentraxin 3 (PTX3) complex, "-" denotes covalent linkage; "/" denotes non-covalent binding) in the birth tissue, i.e., amniotic membrane and umbilical cord, we put forth a new paradigm that HC-HA/PTX3 serves as a surrogate matrix niche by maintaining the in vivo nuclear Pax6+ neural crest progenitor phenotype to support quiescence and self-renewal but prevent corneal fate decision of LEPCs. This new paradigm helps explain how limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) develops in aniridia due to Pax6-haplotype deficiency and further explains why transplantation of HC-HA/PTX3-containing amniotic membrane prevents LSCD in acute chemical burns and Stevens Johnson syndrome, augments the success of autologous LEPCs transplantation in patients suffering from partial or total LSCD, and assists ex vivo expansion (engineering) of a graft containing LEPCs. We thus envisage that this new paradigm based on regenerative matrix HC-HA/PTX3 as a surrogate niche can set a new standard for regenerative medicine in and beyond ophthalmology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scheffer C G Tseng
- Research & Development Department, TissueTech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA; Ocular Surface Center and Ocular Surface Research & Education Foundation, Miami, FL, 33126, USA.
| | - Szu-Yu Chen
- Research & Development Department, TissueTech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Olivia G Mead
- Research & Development Department, TissueTech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Sean Tighe
- Research & Development Department, TissueTech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
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Aryal S, Viet J, Weatherbee BAT, Siddam AD, Hernandez FG, Gautier-Courteille C, Paillard L, Lachke SA. The cataract-linked RNA-binding protein Celf1 post-transcriptionally controls the spatiotemporal expression of the key homeodomain transcription factors Pax6 and Prox1 in lens development. Hum Genet 2020; 139:1541-1554. [PMID: 32594240 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02195-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The homeodomain transcription factors (TFs) Pax6 (OMIM: 607108) and Prox1 (OMIM: 601546) critically regulate gene expression in lens development. While PAX6 mutations in humans can cause cataract, aniridia, microphthalmia, and anophthalmia, among other defects, Prox1 deletion in mice causes severe lens abnormalities, in addition to other organ defects. Furthermore, the optimal dosage/spatiotemporal expression of these key TFs is essential for development. In lens development, Pax6 expression is elevated in cells of the anterior epithelium compared to fiber cells, while Prox1 exhibits the opposite pattern. Whether post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms control these precise TF expression patterns is unknown. Here, we report the unprecedented finding that the cataract-linked RNA-binding protein (RBP), Celf1 (OMIM: 601074), post-transcriptionally regulates Pax6 and Prox1 protein expression in lens development. Immunostaining shows that Celf1 lens-specific conditional knockout (Celf1cKO) mice exhibit abnormal elevation of Pax6 protein in fiber cells and abnormal Prox1 protein levels in epithelial cells-directly opposite to their normal expression patterns in development. Furthermore, RT-qPCR shows no change in Pax6 and Prox1 transcript levels in Celf1cKO lenses, suggesting that Celf1 regulates these TFs on the translational level. Indeed, RNA-immunoprecipitation assays using Celf1 antibody indicate that Celf1 protein binds to Pax6 and Prox1 transcripts. Furthermore, reporter assays in Celf1 knockdown and Celf1-overexpression cells demonstrate that Celf1 negatively controls Pax6 and Prox1 translation via their 3' UTRs. These data define a new mechanism of RBP-based post-transcriptional regulation that enables precise control over spatiotemporal expression of Pax6 and Prox1 in lens development, thereby uncovering a new etiological mechanism for Celf1 deficiency-based cataract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Aryal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Justine Viet
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR-UMR 6290, 35000, Rennes, France
| | | | - Archana D Siddam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | | | - Carole Gautier-Courteille
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR-UMR 6290, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Luc Paillard
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR-UMR 6290, 35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Salil A Lachke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA. .,Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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Feng Y, Li M, Wang S, Cong W, Hu G, Song Y, Xiao H, Dong E, Zhang Y. Paired box 6 inhibits cardiac fibroblast differentiation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 528:561-566. [PMID: 32505347 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.05.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblast (CF) differentiation plays a crucial role in cardiac fibrosis, which is a specific manifestation distinguishing pathological cardiac hypertrophy from physiological hypertrophy. The DNA-binding activity of paired box 6 (Pax6) has been shown to be oppositely regulated in physiological and pathological hypertrophy; however, it remains unclear whether Pax6 is involved in CF differentiation during cardiac fibrosis. We found that Pax6 is expressed in the heart of and CFs isolated from adult mice. Moreover, angiotensin II (Ang II) induced the downregulation of Pax6 mRNA and protein expression in fibrotic heart tissue and cardiac myofibroblasts. Pax6 knockdown in CFs promoted the expression of the myofibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and the synthesis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins collagen I and fibronectin. Furthermore, we validated the ability of Pax6 to bind to the promoter regions of Cxcl10 and Il1r2 and the intronic region of Tgfb1. Pax6 knockdown in CFs decreased CXC chemokine 10 (CXCL10) and interleukin-1 receptor 2 (IL-1R2) expression and increased transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) expression, mimicking the effects of Ang II. In conclusion, Pax6 exerts an inhibitory effect on CF differentiation and ECM synthesis by transcriptionally activating the expression of the anti-fibrotic factors CXCL10 and IL-1R2 and repressing the expression of the pro-fibrotic factor TGFβ1. Therefore, maintaining Pax6 expression in CFs is essential for preventing CF differentiation, and provides a new therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yenan Feng
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Mingzhe Li
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Shuaixing Wang
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Wenwen Cong
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.
| | - Guomin Hu
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Yao Song
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Han Xiao
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Erdan Dong
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Youyi Zhang
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Hernandez J, Pick L, Reding K. Oncopeltus-like gene expression patterns in Murgantia histrionica, a new hemipteran model system, suggest ancient regulatory network divergence. EvoDevo 2020; 11:9. [PMID: 32337018 PMCID: PMC7178596 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-020-00154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Much has been learned about basic biology from studies of insect model systems. The pre-eminent insect model system, Drosophila melanogaster, is a holometabolous insect with a derived mode of segment formation. While additional insect models have been pioneered in recent years, most of these fall within holometabolous lineages. In contrast, hemimetabolous insects have garnered less attention, although they include agricultural pests, vectors of human disease, and present numerous evolutionary novelties in form and function. The milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (order: Hemiptera)—close outgroup to holometabolous insects—is an emerging model system. However, comparative studies within this order are limited as many phytophagous hemipterans are difficult to stably maintain in the lab due to their reliance on fresh plants, deposition of eggs within plant material, and long development time from embryo to adult. Results Here we present the harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica, as a new hemipteran model species. Murgantia—a member of the stink bug family Pentatomidae which shares a common ancestor with Oncopeltus ~ 200 mya—is easy to rear in the lab, produces a large number of eggs, and is amenable to molecular genetic techniques. We use Murgantia to ask whether Pair-Rule Genes (PRGs) are deployed in ways similar to holometabolous insects or to Oncopeltus. Specifically, PRGs even-skipped, odd-skipped, paired and sloppy-paired are initially expressed in PR-stripes in Drosophila and a number of holometabolous insects but in segmental-stripes in Oncopeltus. We found that these genes are likewise expressed in segmental-stripes in Murgantia, while runt displays partial PR-character in both species. Also like Oncopeltus, E75A is expressed in a clear PR-pattern in blastoderm- and germband-stage Murgantia embryos, although it plays no role in segmentation in Drosophila. Thus, genes diagnostic of the split between holometabolous insects and Oncopeltus are expressed in an Oncopeltus-like fashion during Murgantia development. Conclusions The similarity in gene expression between Murgantia and Oncopeltus suggests that Oncopeltus is not a sole outlier species in failing to utilize orthologs of Drosophila PRGs for PR-patterning. Rather, strategies deployed for PR-patterning, including the use of E75A in the PRG-network, are likely conserved within Hemiptera, and possibly more broadly among hemimetabolous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hernandez
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4291 Fieldhouse Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Leslie Pick
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4291 Fieldhouse Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Katie Reding
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4291 Fieldhouse Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
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Markitantova Y, Simirskii V. Inherited Eye Diseases with Retinal Manifestations through the Eyes of Homeobox Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1602. [PMID: 32111086 PMCID: PMC7084737 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal development is under the coordinated control of overlapping networks of signaling pathways and transcription factors. The paper was conceived as a review of the data and ideas that have been formed to date on homeobox genes mutations that lead to the disruption of eye organogenesis and result in inherited eye/retinal diseases. Many of these diseases are part of the same clinical spectrum and have high genetic heterogeneity with already identified associated genes. We summarize the known key regulators of eye development, with a focus on the homeobox genes associated with monogenic eye diseases showing retinal manifestations. Recent advances in the field of genetics and high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies, including single-cell transcriptome analysis have allowed for deepening of knowledge of the genetic basis of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), as well as improve their diagnostics. We highlight some promising avenues of research involving molecular-genetic and cell-technology approaches that can be effective for IRDs therapy. The most promising neuroprotective strategies are aimed at mobilizing the endogenous cellular reserve of the retina.
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Schröder C, Khatri R, Petry SF, Linn T. Class I and II Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor LBH589 Promotes Endocrine Differentiation in Bone Marrow Derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Suppresses Uncontrolled Proliferation. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2020; 129:357-364. [PMID: 32052390 DOI: 10.1055/a-1103-1900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells are useful tools employed in clinical and preclinical medicine. Their beneficial potential in especially degenerative as well as autoimmune diseases is a constant focus of research. Regarding diabetes mellitus, transplantation of stem cells is seen as a possible therapeutic approach to overcome the loss of endocrine pancreatic cells. It was reported that co-transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells with pancreatic islet cells improves function and survival of the graft. However, these multipotent progenitors may be able to form tumors, especially under immunosuppressed conditions. Histone deacetylase inhibitors might offer the potential to overcome this issue. These small molecules can induce cell differentiation and control proliferation. Their potential to control lineage development of stem cells has been distinctly demonstrated in the treatment of cancer, mainly in hematopoietic neoplasias.In this study, we demonstrate that human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells exhibit low carcinogenic potential in an immunosuppressed condition in vivo. Further, the effect of histone deacetylase inhibitors LBH589, MS-275, and MGCD0103 was examined after normalizing histone deacetylase activities in culture. Interestingly, transcripts of insulin gene enhancer protein and paired-box-gene 6, two markers of pancreatic endocrine differentiation were constitutively expressed in the cell line. The broad spectrum inhibitor of class I and class II histone deacetylases LBH589 upregulated the expression of these transcription factors in a significant way, whereas addition of selective class I histone deacetylase inhibitors MS-275 and MGCD0103 did not result in significant changes in gene expression.In conclusion, we deliver evidence that a combined class I and II histone deacetylase inhibition is able to modulate the transcripts of differentiation markers of mesenchymal stem cells. The treatment holds the capability to facilitate endocrine differentiation in future approaches to replace endocrine cells by stem cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Schröder
- Clinical Research Unit, Centre of Internal Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany.,Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rahul Khatri
- Clinical Research Unit, Centre of Internal Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Linn
- Clinical Research Unit, Centre of Internal Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
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Lampreys, the jawless vertebrates, contain three Pax6 genes with distinct expression in eye, brain and pancreas. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19559. [PMID: 31863055 PMCID: PMC6925180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56085-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Pax6 is crucial for the development of the central nervous system, eye, olfactory system and pancreas, and is implicated in human disease. While a single Pax6 gene exists in human and chicken, Pax6 occurs as a gene family in other vertebrates, with two members in elephant shark, Xenopus tropicalis and Anolis lizard and three members in teleost fish such as stickleback and medaka. However, the complement of Pax6 genes in jawless vertebrates (cyclostomes), the sister group of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes), is unknown. Using a combination of BAC sequencing and genome analysis, we discovered three Pax6 genes in lampreys. Unlike the paired-less Pax6 present in some gnathostomes, all three lamprey Pax6 have a highly conserved full-length paired domain. All three Pax6 genes are expressed in the eye and brain, with variable expression in other tissues. Notably, lamprey Pax6α transcripts are found in the pancreas, a vertebrate-specific organ, indicating the involvement of Pax6 in development of the pancreas in the vertebrate ancestor. Multi-species sequence comparisons revealed only a single conserved non-coding element, in the lamprey Pax6β locus, with similarity to the PAX6 neuroretina enhancer. Using a transgenic zebrafish enhancer assay we demonstrate functional conservation of this element over 500 million years of vertebrate evolution.
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Lima Cunha D, Arno G, Corton M, Moosajee M. The Spectrum of PAX6 Mutations and Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in the Eye. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10121050. [PMID: 31861090 PMCID: PMC6947179 DOI: 10.3390/genes10121050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor PAX6 is essential in ocular development in vertebrates, being considered the master regulator of the eye. During eye development, it is essential for the correct patterning and formation of the multi-layered optic cup and it is involved in the developing lens and corneal epithelium. In adulthood, it is mostly expressed in cornea, iris, and lens. PAX6 is a dosage-sensitive gene and it is highly regulated by several elements located upstream, downstream, and within the gene. There are more than 500 different mutations described to affect PAX6 and its regulatory regions, the majority of which lead to PAX6 haploinsufficiency, causing several ocular and systemic abnormalities. Aniridia is an autosomal dominant disorder that is marked by the complete or partial absence of the iris, foveal hypoplasia, and nystagmus, and is caused by heterozygous PAX6 mutations. Other ocular abnormalities have also been associated with PAX6 changes, and genotype-phenotype correlations are emerging. This review will cover recent advancements in PAX6 regulation, particularly the role of several enhancers that are known to regulate PAX6 during eye development and disease. We will also present an updated overview of the mutation spectrum, where an increasing number of mutations in the non-coding regions have been reported. Novel genotype-phenotype correlations will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gavin Arno
- Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL, London EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Marta Corton
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital—Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariya Moosajee
- Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL, London EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- Correspondence:
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66
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Moazzeni H, Mirrahimi M, Moghadam A, Banaei-Esfahani A, Yazdani S, Elahi E. Identification of genes involved in glaucoma pathogenesis using combined network analysis and empirical studies. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:3637-3663. [PMID: 31518395 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. We aimed in this study to identify genes that may make subtle and cumulative contributions to glaucoma pathogenesis. To this end, we identified molecular interactions and pathways that include transcription factors (TFs) FOXC1, PITX2, PAX6 and NFKB1 and various microRNAs including miR-204 known to have relevance to trabecular meshwork (TM) functions and/or glaucoma. TM tissue is involved in glaucoma pathogenesis. In-house microarray transcriptome results and data sources were used to identify target genes of the regulatory molecules. Bioinformatics analyses were done to filter TM and glaucoma relevant genes. These were submitted to network-creating softwares to define interactions, pathways and a network that would include the genes. The network was stringently scrutinized and minimized, then expanded by addition of microarray data and data on TF and microRNA-binding sites. Selected features of the network were confirmed by empirical studies such as dual luciferase assays, real-time PCR and western blot experiments and apoptosis assays. MYOC, WDR36, LTPBP2, RHOA, CYP1B1, OPA1, SPARC, MEIS2, PLEKHG5, RGS5, BBS5, ALDH1A1, NOMO2, CXCL6, FMNL2, ADAMTS5, CLOCK and DKK1 were among the genes included in the final network. Pathways identified included those that affect ECM properties, IOP, ciliary body functions, retinal ganglion cell viability, apoptosis, focal adhesion and oxidative stress response. The identification of many genes potentially involved in glaucoma pathology is consistent with its being a complex disease. The inclusion of several known glaucoma-related genes validates the approach used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Moazzeni
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehraban Mirrahimi
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Moghadam
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Banaei-Esfahani
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Yazdani
- Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Elahi
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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67
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Klann M, Seaver EC. Functional role of pax6 during eye and nervous system development in the annelid Capitella teleta. Dev Biol 2019; 456:86-103. [PMID: 31445008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Pax6 is an important regulator of early animal development. Loss of function mutations of pax6 in a range of animals result in a reduction or complete loss of the eye, a reduction of a subset of neurons, and defects in axon growth. There are no studies focusing on the role of pax6 during development of any lophotrochozoan representative, however, expression of pax6 in the developing eye and nervous system in a number of species suggest that pax6 plays a highly conserved role in eye and nervous system formation. We investigated the functional role of pax6 during development of the marine annelid Capitella teleta. Expression of pax6 transcripts in C. teleta larvae is similar to patterns found in other animals, with distinct subdomains in the brain and ventral nerve cord as well as in the larval and juvenile eye. To perturb pax6 function, two different splice-blocking morpholinos and a translation-blocking morpholino were used. Larvae resulting from microinjections with either splice-blocking morpholino show a reduction of the pax6 transcript. Development of both the larval eyes and the central nervous system architecture are highly disrupted following microinjection of each of the three morpholinos. The less severe phenotype observed when only the homeodomain is disrupted suggests that presence of the paired domain is sufficient for partial function of the Pax6 protein. Preliminary downstream target analysis confirms disruption in expression of some components of the retinal gene regulatory network, as well as disruption of genes involved in nervous system development. Results from this study, taken together with studies from other species, reveal an evolutionarily conserved role for pax6 in eye and neural specification and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen Klann
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd, St. Augustine, Fl, 32080, USA
| | - Elaine C Seaver
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd, St. Augustine, Fl, 32080, USA.
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68
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López JM, Morona R, Moreno N, Lozano D, Jiménez S, González A. Pax6 expression highlights regional organization in the adult brain of lungfishes, the closest living relatives of land vertebrates. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:135-159. [PMID: 31299095 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Pax6 gene encodes a regulatory transcription factor that is key in brain development. The molecular structure of Pax6, the roles it plays and its patterns of expression in the brain have been highly conserved during vertebrate evolution. As neurodevelopment proceeds, the Pax6 expression changes from the mitotic germinal zone in the ventricular zone to become distributed in cell groups in the adult brain. Studies in various vertebrates, from fish to mammals, found that the Pax6 expression is maintained in adults in most regions that express it during development. Specifically, in amphibians, Pax6 is widely expressed in the adult brain and its distribution pattern serves to highlight regional organization of the brain. In the present study, we analyzed the detailed distribution of Pax6 cells in the adult central nervous system of lungfishes, the closest living relatives of all tetrapods. Immunohistochemistry performed using double labeling techniques with several neuronal markers of known distribution patterns served to evaluate the actual location of Pax6 cells. Our results show that the Pax6 expression is maintained in the adult brain of lungfishes, in distinct regions of the telencephalon (pallium and subpallium), diencephalon, mesencephalon, hindbrain, spinal cord, and retina. The pattern of Pax6 expression is largely shared with amphibians and helps to understand the primitive condition that would have characterized the common ancestors to all sarcopterygians (lobe-finned fishes and tetrapods), in which Pax6 would be needed to maintain specific entities of subpopulations of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M López
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Morona
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Lozano
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Jiménez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín González
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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69
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Chen SY, Cheng AMS, Zhang Y, Zhu YT, He H, Mahabole M, Tseng SCG. Pax 6 Controls Neural Crest Potential of Limbal Niche Cells to Support Self-Renewal of Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9763. [PMID: 31278274 PMCID: PMC6611810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
On ocular surface, corneal epithelial stem cells (SC) reside in limbus between cornea and conjunctiva. Pax6, an evolutionally conserved transcription factor essential for eye development, is expressed in post-natal corneal and limbal epithelia progenitors (LEPC) but not in underlying stroma. Because Pax6 is transiently expressed in developing corneal stroma and a subset of limbal and corneal stromal progenitors, we examined the role of Pax6 in limbal niche cells (LNC) in maintaining the phenotype of neural crest (NC) progenitors to support LEPC. Our results showed that nuclear Pax6 staining was found in freshly isolated LNC but not corneal stromal cells. Serial passaged LNC resulted in gradual loss of nuclear Pax6 (46 kDa) staining and neural crest progenitor status defined by the expression of embryonic SCs and NC markers, neurosphere formation, and differentiation into neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Gain of function of 46 kDa Pax6 in late-passaged LNC resulted in nuclear Pax6 staining and promotion of the aforementioned NC progenitor status. In an in vitro reunion assay, early passaged LNC and late passaged LNC with overexpression of Pax6 inhibited the expression of corneal epithelial differentiation marker and promoted holoclone by LEPC. Therefore, expression of nuclear 46 kDa Pax6 in LNC plays an important developmental role in maintaining NC progenitor status to support self-renewal of corneal epithelial SCs in the limbal niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szu-Yu Chen
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136, USA
| | - Anny M S Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, FL33199, USA.,Ocular Surface Center, and Ocular Surface Research & Education Foundation, Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Yuan Zhang
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Ying-Ting Zhu
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Hua He
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Megha Mahabole
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA
| | - Scheffer C G Tseng
- R&D Department, Tissue Tech, Inc., Miami, FL, 33126, USA. .,Ocular Surface Center, and Ocular Surface Research & Education Foundation, Miami, FL, 33126, USA.
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70
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Xiao Y, Liu X, Yang C, Liu L, Guo X, Wang Q, Gong B. A Novel PAX6 Heterozygous Mutation Found in a Chinese Family with Congenital Aniridia. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2019; 23:495-500. [PMID: 31161946 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2018.0334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xiao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiangqin Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Chengdu Biology, Sichuan Translational Medicine Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chen Yang
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Liping Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoxin Guo
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Bo Gong
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Chengdu Biology, Sichuan Translational Medicine Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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71
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Gonadal, Not Maternal, Acquisition of Duplicated pax6 Orthologs in Megalobrama Amblycephala. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20071710. [PMID: 30959850 PMCID: PMC6480603 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
: The highly conserved transcription factor Pax6 is involved in the development of the eyes, brain, and pancreas in vertebrates and invertebrates, whereas the additional expression pattern in other organs is still elusive. In this study, we cloned and characterized two pax6 homologs in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), named Mapax6a and Mapax6b. The protein alignment and phylogenetic tree showed that Mapax6a and Mapax6b were highly conserved compared with their counterparts in other species. Genomic information analysis revealed that the synteny conservation of Wilms tumor, Aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation loci was also maintained in this species. By reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, the expression of Mapax6a was later than that of Mapax6b which was found in the blastula stage, while the expression of Mapax6a started from the somite stage, and both of them persisted in a subsequent stage during the embryonic development. By RNA and protein detection, Mapax6a and Mapax6b were detected in the eye and brain as canonic patterns, and most importantly, they were also enriched in germ cells of the testis and ovary. Therefore, our findings validate the duplication of pax6 in fish, confirm the classical expression patterns in the brain and eye, and, for the first time, present a new acquisition of Mapax6a and Mapax6b in gonadal germ cells in particular. Therefore, our results enrich the expression pattern and evolutionary relationship of pax6 by suggesting that duplicated Mapax6 is involved in gametogenesis in Megalobrama amblycephala.
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72
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LaMantia A. The strengths of the genetic approach to understanding neural systems development and function: Ray Guillery's synthesis. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 49:888-899. [PMID: 29883004 PMCID: PMC6369024 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The organization and function of sensory systems, especially the mammalian visual system, has been the focus of philosophers and scientists for centuries-from Descartes and Newton onward. Nevertheless, the utility of understanding development and its genetic foundations for deeper insight into neural function has been debated: Do you need to know how something is assembled-a car, for example-to understand how it works or how to use it-to turn on the ignition and drive? This review addresses this issue for sensory pathways. The pioneering work of the late Rainer W. (Ray) Guillery provides an unequivocal answer to this central question: Using genetics for mechanistic exploration of sensory system development yields essential knowledge of organization and function. Ray truly built the foundation for this now accepted tenet of modern neuroscience. His work on the development and reorganization of visual pathways in albino mammals-all with primary genetic mutations in genes for pigmentation-defined the genetic approach to neural systems development, function and plasticity. The work that followed his lead in a variety of sensory systems, including my own work in the developing olfactory system, proceeds directly from Ray's fundamental contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony‐Samuel LaMantia
- Institute for Neuroscience and Department of Anatomy and Cell BiologyThe George Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
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73
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Pedersen HR, Neitz M, Gilson SJ, Landsend ECS, Utheim ØA, Utheim TP, Baraas RC. The Cone Photoreceptor Mosaic in Aniridia: Within-Family Phenotype-Genotype Discordance. Ophthalmol Retina 2019; 3:523-534. [PMID: 31174676 DOI: 10.1016/j.oret.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Investigate in vivo cone photoreceptor structure in familial aniridia caused by deletion in the PAX6 gene to elucidate the complexity of between-individual variation in retinal phenotype. DESIGN Descriptive case-control study. PARTICIPANTS Eight persons with congenital aniridia (40-66 yrs) from 1 family and 33 normal control participants (14-69 yrs), including 7 unaffected family members (14-53 yrs). METHODS DNA was isolated from saliva samples and used in polymerase chain reaction analysis to amplify and sequence exons and intron or exon junctions of the PAX6 gene. High-resolution retinal images were acquired with OCT and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. Cone density (CD; in cones per square millimeter) and mosaic regularity were estimated along nasal-temporal meridians within the central 0° to 5° eccentricity. Horizontal spectral-domain OCT line scans were segmented to analyze the severity of foveal hypoplasia (FH) and to measure retinal layer thicknesses. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Within-family variability in macular retinal layer thicknesses, cone photoreceptor density, and mosaic regularity in aniridia compared with normal control participants. RESULTS DNA sequencing revealed a known PAX6 mutation (IV2-2delA). Those with aniridia showed variable iris phenotype ranging from almost normal appearance to no iris. Four participants with aniridia demonstrated FH grade 2, 2 demonstrated grade 3 FH, and 1 demonstrated grade 4 FH. Visual acuity ranged from 0.20 to 0.86 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution. Adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy images were acquired from 5 family members with aniridia. Foveal CD varied between 19 899 and 55 128 cones/mm2 with overlap between the foveal hypoplasia grades. Cone density was 3 standard deviations (SDs) or more less than the normal mean within 0.5°, 2 SDs less than the normal mean at 0.5° to 4°, and more than 1 SD less than the normal mean at 5° retinal eccentricity. CONCLUSIONS The results showed considerable variability in foveal development within a family carrying the same PAX6 mutation. This, together with the structural and functional variability within each grade of foveal hypoplasia, underlines the importance of advancing knowledge about retinal cellular phenotype in aniridia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde R Pedersen
- National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
| | - Maureen Neitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Stuart J Gilson
- National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
| | | | | | - Tor Paaske Utheim
- National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway; Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rigmor C Baraas
- National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway.
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74
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Vicente A, Byström B, Pedrosa Domellöf F. Altered Signaling Pathways in Aniridia-Related Keratopathy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 59:5531-5541. [DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-25175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André Vicente
- Department of Clinical Science, Ophthalmology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Berit Byström
- Department of Clinical Science, Ophthalmology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fátima Pedrosa Domellöf
- Department of Clinical Science, Ophthalmology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Section for Anatomy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Tarilonte M, Morín M, Ramos P, Galdós M, Blanco-Kelly F, Villaverde C, Rey-Zamora D, Rebolleda G, Muñoz-Negrete FJ, Tahsin-Swafiri S, Gener B, Moreno-Pelayo MA, Ayuso C, Villamar M, Corton M. Parental Mosaicism in PAX6 Causes Intra-Familial Variability: Implications for Genetic Counseling of Congenital Aniridia and Microphthalmia. Front Genet 2018; 9:479. [PMID: 30386378 PMCID: PMC6199369 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in PAX6 are involved in several developmental eye disorders. These disorders have considerable phenotypic variability, ranging from panocular forms of congenital aniridia and microphthalmia to isolated anomalies of the anterior or posterior segment. Here, we describe 3 families with variable inter-generational ocular expression of aniridia, iris coloboma, or microphthalmia, and an unusual transmission of PAX6 mutations from an unaffected or mildly affected parent; all of which raised suspicion of gonosomal mosaicism. We first identified two previously known nonsense mutations and one novel likely pathogenic missense variant in PAX6 in probands by means of targeted NGS. The subsequent segregation analysis by Sanger sequencing evidenced the presence of highly probable mosaic events in paternal blood samples. Mosaicism was further confirmed by droplet digital PCR analysis in several somatic tissues of mosaic fathers. Quantification of the mutant allele fraction in parental samples showed a marked deviation from 50%, with a range between 12 and 29% depending on cell type. Gonosomal mosaicsm was definitively confirmed in one of the families thanks to the availability of a sperm sample from the mosaic father. Thus, the recurrence risk in this family was estimated to be about one-third. This is the first report confirming parental PAX6 mosaicism as a cause of disease recurrence in aniridia and other related phenotypes. In addition, we demonstrated that post-zygotic mosaicism is a frequent and underestimated pathogenic mechanism in aniridia, explaining intra-familial phenotypic variability in many cases. Our findings may have substantial implications for genetic counseling in congenital aniridia. Thus, we also highlight the importance of comprehensive genetic screening of parents for new sporadic cases with aniridia or related developmental eye disease to more accurately assess recurrence risk. In conclusion, somatic and/or gonosomal mosaicism should be taken into consideration as a genetic factor to explain not only families with unaffected parents despite multiple affected children but also variable expressivity, apparent de novo cases, and even uncharacterized cases of aniridia and related developmental eye disorders, apparently lacking PAX6 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Tarilonte
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matías Morín
- Servicio de Genética, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Ramos
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Galdós
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cruces University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Fiona Blanco-Kelly
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Villaverde
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolores Rey-Zamora
- Servicio de Genética, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Rebolleda
- Department of Glaucoma, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J Muñoz-Negrete
- Department of Glaucoma, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Saoud Tahsin-Swafiri
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Gener
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Genetics, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Miguel-Angel Moreno-Pelayo
- Servicio de Genética, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Ayuso
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuela Villamar
- Servicio de Genética, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Corton
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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76
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Uslupehlivan M, Şener E, Deveci R. In silico analysis of Pax6 protein glycosylation in vertebrates. Comput Biol Chem 2018; 77:116-122. [PMID: 30286322 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pax6 is a transcription factor that involves in the formation of the eye, brain, and central nervous system in vertebrates. Due to various roles in the eye morphogenesis, Pax6 interacts with DNA and various transcription factors via post-translational modifications. Post-translational modifications of Pax6 have been studied extensively but there is a paucity of information about the glycosylation. Here, we focused on predicting the glycosylation positions of Pax6 protein in vertebrates. Also, 3D protein and glycoprotein models were generated using I-TASSER and GLYCAM servers in order to understand the effect of glycosylation on the Pax6 protein structure. We predicted N-glycosylation, mucin-type O-glycosylation, O-α-GlcNAcylation, and O-β-GlcNAcylation positions on Pax6 protein besides O-GlcNAc modification. Moreover, we found ying-yang positions suggesting the presence of O-GlcNAcylation/phosphorylation competition in Pax6. As to 3D glycoprotein models of Pax6, Ser24, Ser65, and Ser74 residues at the PD domain of Pax6 protein was evaluated as a strong candidate for the DNA binding site. We suggest that determination of the glycosylation positions on 3D glycoprotein model will facilitate the understanding of glycosylation role on Pax6 protein interactions in transcription and intracellular activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammet Uslupehlivan
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Ecem Şener
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Remziye Deveci
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, Izmir, Turkey.
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77
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The genetic architecture of aniridia and Gillespie syndrome. Hum Genet 2018; 138:881-898. [PMID: 30242502 PMCID: PMC6710220 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-018-1934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Absence of part or all of the iris, aniridia, is a feature of several genetically distinct conditions. This review focuses on iris development and then the clinical features and molecular genetics of these iris malformations. Classical aniridia, a panocular eye malformation including foveal hypoplasia, is the archetypal phenotype associated with heterozygous PAX6 loss-of-function mutations. Since this was identified in 1991, many genetic mechanisms of PAX6 inactivation have been elucidated, the commonest alleles being intragenic mutations causing premature stop codons, followed by those causing C-terminal extensions. Rarely, aniridia cases are associated with FOXC1, PITX2 and/or their regulatory regions. Aniridia can also occur as a component of many severe global eye malformations. Gillespie syndrome—a triad of partial aniridia, non-progressive cerebellar ataxia and intellectual disability—is phenotypically and genotypically distinct from classical aniridia. The causative gene has recently been identified as ITPR1. The same characteristic Gillespie syndrome-like iris, with aplasia of the pupillary sphincter and a scalloped margin, is seen in ACTA2-related multisystemic smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome. WAGR syndrome (Wilms tumour, aniridia, genitourinary anomalies and mental retardation/intellectual disability), is caused by contiguous deletion of PAX6 and WT1 on chromosome 11p. Deletions encompassing BDNF have been causally implicated in the obesity and intellectual disability associated with the condition. Lastly, we outline a genetic investigation strategy for aniridia in light of recent developments, suggesting an approach based principally on chromosomal array and gene panel testing. This strategy aims to test all known aniridia loci—including the rarer, life-limiting causes—whilst remaining simple and practical.
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78
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Flach H, Krieg J, Hoffmeister M, Dietmann P, Reusch A, Wischmann L, Kernl B, Riegger R, Oess S, Kühl SJ. Nosip functions during vertebrate eye and cranial cartilage development. Dev Dyn 2018; 247:1070-1082. [PMID: 30055071 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nitric oxide synthase interacting protein (Nosip) has been associated with diverse human diseases including psychological disorders. In line, early neurogenesis of mouse and Xenopus is impaired upon Nosip deficiency. Nosip knockout mice show craniofacial defects and the down-regulation of Nosip in the mouse and Xenopus leads to microcephaly. Until now, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms of these malformations were still unknown. RESULTS Here, we show that nosip is expressed in the developing ocular system as well as the anterior neural crest cells of Xenopus laevis. Furthermore, Nosip inhibition causes severe defects in eye formation in the mouse and Xenopus. Retinal lamination as well as dorso-ventral patterning of the retina were affected in Nosip-depleted Xenopus embryos. Marker gene analysis using rax, pax6 and otx2 reveals an interference with the eye field induction and differentiation. A closer look on Nosip-deficient Xenopus embryos furthermore reveals disrupted cranial cartilage structures and an inhibition of anterior neural crest cell induction and migration shown by twist, snai2, and egr2. Moreover, foxc1 as downstream factor of retinoic acid signalling is affected upon Nosip deficiency. CONCLUSIONS Nosip is a crucial factor for the development of anterior neural tissue such the eyes and neural crest cells. Developmental Dynamics 247:1070-1082, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Flach
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Julia Krieg
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Meike Hoffmeister
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University, Frankfurt Medical School, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry, Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Petra Dietmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Adrian Reusch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lisa Wischmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Bianka Kernl
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ricarda Riegger
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefanie Oess
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University, Frankfurt Medical School, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry, Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Susanne J Kühl
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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79
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Roux LN, Petit I, Domart R, Concordet JP, Qu J, Zhou H, Joliot A, Ferrigno O, Aberdam D. Modeling of Aniridia-Related Keratopathy by CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing of Human Limbal Epithelial Cells and Rescue by Recombinant PAX6 Protein. Stem Cells 2018; 36:1421-1429. [PMID: 29808941 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Heterozygous PAX6 gene mutations leading to haploinsufficiency are the main cause of congenital aniridia, a rare and progressive panocular disease characterized by reduced visual acuity. Up to 90% of patients suffer from aniridia-related keratopathy (ARK), caused by a combination of factors including limbal epithelial stem cell (LSC) deficiency, impaired healing response and abnormal differentiation of the corneal epithelium. It usually begins in the first decade of life, resulting in recurrent corneal erosions, sub-epithelial fibrosis, and corneal opacification. Unfortunately, there are currently no efficient treatments available for these patients and no in vitro model for this pathology. We used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to introduce into the PAX6 gene of LSCs a heterozygous nonsense mutation found in ARK patients. Nine clones carrying a p.E109X mutation on one allele were obtained with no off-target mutations. Compared with the parental LSCs, heterozygous mutant LSCs displayed reduced expression of PAX6 and marked slow-down of cell proliferation, migration and detachment. Moreover, addition to the culture medium of recombinant PAX6 protein fused to a cell penetrating peptide was able to activate the endogenous PAX6 gene and to rescue phenotypic defects of mutant LSCs, suggesting that administration of such recombinant PAX6 protein could be a promising therapeutic approach for aniridia-related keratopathy. More generally, our results demonstrate that introduction of disease mutations into LSCs by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing allows the creation of relevant cellular models of ocular disease that should greatly facilitate screening of novel therapeutic approaches. Stem Cells 2018;36:1421-1429.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauriane N Roux
- INSERM U976, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Petit
- INSERM U976, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Romain Domart
- INSERM U1154, CNRS UMR 7196, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Paul Concordet
- INSERM U1154, CNRS UMR 7196, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jieqiong Qu
- Department of Human Developmental biology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Sciences, Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Department of Human Developmental biology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Sciences, Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alain Joliot
- Collège de France CNRS/UMR 7241 - INSERM U1050, Paris, France
| | | | - Daniel Aberdam
- INSERM U976, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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80
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Conserved characteristics of ocular refractive development - Did the eye evolve once? Exp Eye Res 2018; 183:84-87. [PMID: 29758190 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
It has been speculated that the unitary eyes of vertebrates and molluscs, and the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans, evolved separately. On the other hand, the common use of rhodopsin as a photoreceptor molecule, and the conservation of Pax6 as a master control gene for eye development, suggest instead that the eye evolved once. Yet, recently the molecular genetics that had seemed to suggest a definitive answer to this evolutionary point has once again become cloudy. Here we propose an alternative approach to addressing the question of eye evolution through comparative analyses of physiological optics. Serendipitous discoveries involving form deprivation and defocusing with young monkeys and chicks demonstrated the conserved importance of visual experience on eye development. Similar results have been demonstrated in teleosts, although differences exist in eye anatomy, physiology and optics. In particular, since fish grow throughout life, these effects can also be demonstrated in adults. In comparison, the cephalopod eye is an often-cited example of convergent evolution with the vertebrate eye, although considerable developmental differences exist. Nevertheless, squid eyes from animals raised under alternative lighting exhibit anatomical and refractive changes that agree with those found in vertebrates. Together, these observations provide functional and structural support for the view that the eye evolved once. Because of their very compressed lifespans (only one to two years) cephalopods may be ideal animal models for the study of ocular refractive development.
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81
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Phenotypic Variation in a Four-Generation Family with Aniridia Carrying a Novel PAX6 Mutation. J Ophthalmol 2018; 2018:5978293. [PMID: 29850208 PMCID: PMC5904767 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5978293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aniridia is a congenital disease that affects almost all eye structures and is primarily caused by loss-of-function mutations in the PAX6 gene. The degree of vision loss in aniridia varies and is dependent on the extent of foveal, iris, and optic nerve hypoplasia and the presence of glaucoma, cataracts, and corneal opacification. Here, we describe a 4-generation family in which 7 individuals across 2 generations carry a novel disease-causing frameshift mutation (NM_000280.4(PAX6):c.565TC>T) in PAX6. This mutation results in an early stop codon in exon 8, which is predicted to cause nonsense-mediated decay of the truncated mRNA and a functionally null PAX6 allele. Family members with aniridia showed differences in multiple eye phenotypes including iris and optic nerve hypoplasia, congenital and acquired corneal opacification, glaucoma, and strabismus. Visual acuity ranged from 20/100 to less than 20/800. Patients who required surgical intervention for glaucoma or corneal opacification had worse visual outcomes. Our results show that family members carrying a novel PAX6 frameshift mutation have variable expressivity, leading to different ocular comorbidities and visual outcomes.
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82
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Tabata H, Koinui A, Ogura A, Nishihara D, Yamamoto H. A novel nuclear localization signal spans the linker of the two DNA-binding subdomains in the conserved paired domain of Pax6. Genes Genet Syst 2018; 93:75-81. [PMID: 29607880 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.17-00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired box (Pax) 6, a member of the Pax family of transcription factors, contains two DNA-binding domains, called the paired domain (PD) and the homeodomain (HD), and plays pivotal roles in development of structures such as the eye, central nervous system and pancreas. Pax6 is a major developmental switching molecule because, for example, ectopic expression of the Pax6 gene can induce ectopic whole eye development. Intensive research has been devoted to elucidating the molecular mechanism(s) involved in the function(s) of Pax6, but many issues remain unexplained. One of the important issues is to identify the nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the PD of Pax6, which is predicted to have a stronger NLS activity than that in the HD. We produced expression plasmid constructs that encode the chick Pax6 protein modified to delete the entire PD except for fragments containing putative NLS sequences, and electroporated them in ovo into the developing chick midbrain to define the NLS of the PD. The results show that the NLS in the PD of chick Pax6 consists of an unusually long sequence of 36 amino acid residues. Within this long NLS motif, the central 18 amino acids comprising two consecutive nine-residue segments showed highest NLS activity; this central area corresponds to the C-terminal half of the third α-helix of the PAI subdomain and the subsequent 11 amino acids of a 16-residue linker between PAI and the adjacent RED subdomain. This information helps to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which Pax6 plays a pivotal role during ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromasa Tabata
- Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
| | - Akihiro Koinui
- Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
| | - Atsushi Ogura
- Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
| | - Daisuke Nishihara
- Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University
| | - Hiroaki Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
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83
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Wawrocka A, Krawczynski MR. The genetics of aniridia - simple things become complicated. J Appl Genet 2018; 59:151-159. [PMID: 29460221 PMCID: PMC5895662 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-017-0426-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Aniridia is a rare, panocular disorder characterized by a variable degree of hypoplasia or the absence of iris tissue associated with additional ocular abnormalities. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, with high penetrance and variable expression even within the same family. In most cases the disease is caused by haploinsufficiency truncating mutations in the PAX6 gene; however, in up to 30% of aniridia patients, disease results from chromosomal rearrangements at the 11p13 region. The aim of this review is to present the clinical and genetic aspects of the disease. Furthermore, we present a molecular diagnostic strategy in the aniridia patients. Recent improvement in the genetic diagnostic approach will precisely diagnosis aniridia patients, which is essential especially for children with aniridia in order to determine the risk of developing a Wilms tumor or neurodevelopmental disorder. Finally, based on the previous studies we describe the current knowledge and latest research findings in the topic of pathogenesis of aniridia and possible future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wawrocka
- Department of Medical Genetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 8, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Maciej R Krawczynski
- Department of Medical Genetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 8, 60-806, Poznan, Poland
- Centers for Medical Genetics GENESIS, Poznan, Poland
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84
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Okuno H, Renault Mihara F, Ohta S, Fukuda K, Kurosawa K, Akamatsu W, Sanosaka T, Kohyama J, Hayashi K, Nakajima K, Takahashi T, Wysocka J, Kosaki K, Okano H. CHARGE syndrome modeling using patient-iPSCs reveals defective migration of neural crest cells harboring CHD7 mutations. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 29179815 PMCID: PMC5705211 DOI: 10.7554/elife.21114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
CHARGE syndrome is caused by heterozygous mutations in the chromatin remodeler, CHD7, and is characterized by a set of malformations that, on clinical grounds, were historically postulated to arise from defects in neural crest formation during embryogenesis. To better delineate neural crest defects in CHARGE syndrome, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from two patients with typical syndrome manifestations, and characterized neural crest cells differentiated in vitro from these iPSCs (iPSC-NCCs). We found that expression of genes associated with cell migration was altered in CHARGE iPSC-NCCs compared to control iPSC-NCCs. Consistently, CHARGE iPSC-NCCs showed defective delamination, migration and motility in vitro, and their transplantation in ovo revealed overall defective migratory activity in the chick embryo. These results support the historical inference that CHARGE syndrome patients exhibit defects in neural crest migration, and provide the first successful application of patient-derived iPSCs in modeling craniofacial disorders. CHARGE syndrome is a disease in which organs including the heart, eyes and ears may not develop properly. The cells that form the tissues affected by CHARGE syndrome develop in embryos from precursor cells called neural crest cells. Individuals with CHARGE syndrome also have mutations in a gene called CHD7. However, it is difficult to examine how CHD7 mutations affect neural crest cells in embryos. In recent years, cell reprogramming techniques have made it possible to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from the specialized somatic cells found in the human body. These iPSCs can be developed into many different cell types, including neural crest cells. Okuno et al. created iPSCs from the skin cells of people with CHARGE syndrome, developed these cells into neural crest cells, and compared them with neural crest cells that were developed from the skin cells of people without CHARGE syndrome. The neural crest cells developed from people with CHARGE syndrome showed multiple abnormalities. For example, they were not able to move around correctly. This is an important observation because neural crest cells must move through tissues to form the various organs affected by CHARGE syndrome. Okuno et al. also observed changes in the activity of many genes other than CHD7 in the neural crest cells developed from CHARGE patients. Further research is now needed to find out which genes are the most important for restoring the normal activity of neural crest cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironobu Okuno
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Shigeki Ohta
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kimiko Fukuda
- Department of Biological Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Kurosawa
- Division of Medical Genetics, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Wado Akamatsu
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Center for Genomic and Regenerative Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Sanosaka
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Kohyama
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanehiro Hayashi
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunori Nakajima
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takao Takahashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States.,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States.,Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Kenjiro Kosaki
- Center for Medical Genetics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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85
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Friedrich M. Ancient genetic redundancy of eyeless and twin of eyeless in the arthropod ocular segment. Dev Biol 2017; 432:192-200. [PMID: 28993201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Pax6 transcription factors are essential upstream regulators in the developing anterior brain and peripheral visual system of most bilaterian animals. While a single homolog is in charge of these functions in vertebrates, two Pax6 genes are in Drosophila: eyeless (ey) and twin of eyeless (toy). At first glance, their co-existence seems sufficiently explained by their differential involvement in the specification of two types of insect visual organs: the lateral compound eyes (ey) and the dorsal ocelli (toy). Less straightforward to understand, however, is their genetic redundancy in promoting defined early and late growth phases of the precursor tissue to these organs: the eye-antennal imaginal disc. Drawing on comparative sequence, expression, and gene function evidence, I here conclude that this gene regulatory network module dates back to the dawn of arthropod evolution, securing the embryonic development of the ocular head segment. Thus, ey and toy constitute a paradigm to explore the organization and functional significance of longterm conserved genetic redundancy of duplicated genes. Indeed, as first steps in this direction, recent studies uncovered the shared use of binding sites in shared enhancers of target genes that are under redundant (string) and, strikingly, even subfunctionalized control by ey and toy (atonal). Equally significant, the evolutionarily recent and paralog-specific function of ey to repress the transcription of the antenna fate regulator Distal-less offers a functionally and phylogenetically well-defined opportunity to study the reconciliation of shared, partitioned, and newly acquired functions in a duplicated developmental gene pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201,USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Aniridia is a rare and panocular disorder affecting most of the ocular structures which may have significant impact on vision. The purpose of this review is to describe the clinical features, genetics, and therapeutic options for this disease and to provide an update of current knowledge and latest research findings. RECENT FINDINGS Aside from the ocular features, a variety of associated systemic abnormalities, including hormonal, metabolic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and neurologic pathologies have been reported in children with aniridia. Although mutations in PAX6 are a major cause of aniridia, genetic defects in nearby genes, such as TRIM44 or ELP4, have also been reported to cause aniridia. Recent improvement in genetic testing technique will help more rapid and precise diagnosis for aniridia. A promising therapeutic approach called nonsense suppression therapy has been introduced and successfully used in an animal model. SUMMARY Aniridia is a challenging disease. The progressive nature of this condition and its potential complications require continuous and life-long ophthalmologic care. Genetic diagnosis for aniridia is important for establishing definitive molecular characterization as well as identifying individuals at high risk for Wilms tumor. Recent advancement in understanding the genetic pathogenesis of this disease offers promise for the approaches to treatment.
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Lewis CJ, Hedberg-Buenz A, DeLuca AP, Stone EM, Alward WL, Fingert JH. Primary congenital and developmental glaucomas. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:R28-R36. [PMID: 28549150 PMCID: PMC5886473 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Although most glaucoma patients are elderly, congenital glaucoma and glaucomas of childhood are also important causes of visual disability. Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is isolated, non-syndromic glaucoma that occurs in the first three years of life and is a major cause of childhood blindness. Other early-onset glaucomas may arise secondary to developmental abnormalities, such as glaucomas that occur with aniridia or as part of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome. Congenital and childhood glaucomas have strong genetic bases and disease-causing mutations have been discovered in several genes. Mutations in three genes (CYP1B1, LTBP2, TEK) have been reported in PCG patients. Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome is caused by mutations in PITX2 or FOXC1 and aniridia is caused by PAX6 mutations. This review discusses the roles of these genes in primary congenital glaucoma and glaucomas of childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly J. Lewis
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, 3111B Medical Education and Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Adam Hedberg-Buenz
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, 3111B Medical Education and Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Adam P. DeLuca
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, 3111B Medical Education and Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Edwin M. Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, 3111B Medical Education and Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Wallace L.M. Alward
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, 3111B Medical Education and Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - John H. Fingert
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, 3111B Medical Education and Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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Maurya SK, Mishra R. Pax6 Binds to Promoter Sequence Elements Associated with Immunological Surveillance and Energy Homeostasis in Brain of Aging Mice. Ann Neurosci 2017; 24:20-25. [PMID: 28588354 DOI: 10.1159/000464419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients having mutations of Pax6 bear phenotypes that match age-associated neurological disorders. Mutations affect most cellular functions such as cell division, growth, differentiation, and cell death in brain, eyes, pituitary, pineal, and pancreas. The progressive reduction in the level of Pax6 during aging has also been observed. However, information about downstream targets of Pax6 in brain is unclear. Therefore, it is presumed that age-dependent alterations of Pax6 may also affect cascades of promoter sequence recognition in brain during aging. PURPOSE This study is aimed at studying the interaction of Pax6 with DNA sequence elements to explore alteration in gene targets and transcription networks of Pax6 in brain during aging. METHODS Chromatin immunoprecipitation with anti-Pax6 using tissue extracts of brain from newborn, young, adult, and old mice was done. Pulled DNA from brain was analysed by gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Amplified PCR products were sequenced and analyzed. RESULTS Age-associated alterations in binding to genetic sequence elements by Pax6 were observed. Promoter analysis predicts genes involved in neuronal survival (Bdnf, Sparc), specificity of astrocyte (S100β, Gfap), cell-proliferation (Pcna), inflammation and immune response (interferon-γ, tumour necrosis factor-α), management of oxidative stress (Sod, Cat), and hypoxia (Ldh). CONCLUSION The Pax6 either directly or indirectly binds to promoter sequences of genes essential for immunological surveillance and energy metabolism in brain that alters during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashank Kumar Maurya
- Department of Zoology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Rajnikant Mishra
- Department of Zoology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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Sun J, Zhao Y, McGreal R, Cohen-Tayar Y, Rockowitz S, Wilczek C, Ashery-Padan R, Shechter D, Zheng D, Cvekl A. Pax6 associates with H3K4-specific histone methyltransferases Mll1, Mll2, and Set1a and regulates H3K4 methylation at promoters and enhancers. Epigenetics Chromatin 2016; 9:37. [PMID: 27617035 PMCID: PMC5018195 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-016-0087-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pax6 is a key regulator of the entire cascade of ocular lens formation through specific binding to promoters and enhancers of batteries of target genes. The promoters and enhancers communicate with each other through DNA looping mediated by multiple protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions and are marked by specific combinations of histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Enhancers are distinguished from bulk chromatin by specific modifications of core histone H3, including H3K4me1 and H3K27ac, while promoters show increased H3K4me3 PTM. Previous studies have shown the presence of Pax6 in as much as 1/8 of lens-specific enhancers but a much smaller fraction of tissue-specific promoters. Although Pax6 is known to interact with EP300/p300 histone acetyltransferase responsible for generation of H3K27ac, a potential link between Pax6 and histone H3K4 methylation remains to be established. RESULTS Here we show that Pax6 co-purifies with H3K4 methyltransferase activity in lens cell nuclear extracts. Proteomic studies show that Pax6 immunoprecipitates with Set1a, Mll1, and Mll2 enzymes, and their associated proteins, i.e., Wdr5, Rbbp5, Ash2l, and Dpy30. ChIP-seq studies using chromatin prepared from mouse lens and cultured lens cells demonstrate that Pax6-bound regions are mostly enriched with H3K4me2 and H3K4me1 in enhancers and promoters, though H3K4me3 marks only Pax6-containing promoters. The shRNA-mediated knockdown of Pax6 revealed down-regulation of a set of direct target genes, including Cap2, Farp1, Pax6, Plekha1, Prox1, Tshz2, and Zfp536. Pax6 knockdown was accompanied by reduced H3K4me1 at enhancers and H3K4me3 at promoters, with little or no changes of the H3K4me2 modifications. These changes were prominent in Plekha1, a gene regulated by Pax6 in both lens and retinal pigmented epithelium. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports a general model of Pax6-mediated recruitment of histone methyltransferases Mll1 and Mll2 to lens chromatin, especially at distal enhancers. Genome-wide data in lens show that Pax6 binding correlates with H3K4me2, consistent with the idea that H3K4me2 PTMs correlate with the binding of transcription factors. Importantly, partial reduction of Pax6 induces prominent changes in local H3K4me1 and H3K4me3 modification. Together, these data open the field to mechanistic studies of Pax6, Mll1, Mll2, and H3K4me1/2/3 dynamics at distal enhancers and promoters of developmentally controlled genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Rebecca McGreal
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA ; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Yamit Cohen-Tayar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Sagol school of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
| | - Shira Rockowitz
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Carola Wilczek
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Sagol school of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
| | - David Shechter
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA ; Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA ; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
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