Expression of the Otx2 homeobox gene in the developing mammalian brain: embryonic and adult expression in the pineal gland

A new GFP-tagged line reveals unexpected Otx2 protein localization in retinal photoreceptors

Background

Dynamic monitoring of protein expression and localization is fundamental to the understanding of biological processes. The paired-class homeodomain-containing transcription factor Otx2 is essential for normal head and brain development in vertebrates. Recent conditional knockout studies have pointed to multiple roles of this protein during late development and post-natal life. Yet, later expression and functions remain poorly characterized as specific reagents to detect the protein at any stage of development are still missing.

Results

We generated a new mouse line harbouring an insertion of the GFP gene within the Otx2 coding sequence to monitor the gene activity while preserving most of its functions. Our results demonstrate that this line represents a convenient tool to capture the dynamics of Otx2 gene expression from early embryonic stages to adulthood. In addition, we could visualize the intracellular location of Otx2 protein. In the retina, we reinterpret the former view of protein distribution and show a further level of regulation of intranuclear protein localization, which depends on the cell type.

Conclusion

The GFP-tagged Otx2 mouse line fully recapitulates previously known expression patterns and brings additional accuracy and easiness of detection of Otx2 gene activity. This opens up the way to live imaging of a highly dynamic actor of brain development and can be adapted to any mutant background to probe for genetic interaction between Otx2 and the mutated gene.

NeuroD1: developmental expression and regulated genes in the rodent pineal gland

NeuroD1/BETA2, a member of the bHLH transcription factor family, is known to influence the fate of specific neuronal, endocrine and retinal cells. We report here that NeuroD1 mRNA is highly abundant in the developing and adult rat pineal gland. Pineal expression begins in the 17-day embryo at which time it is also detectable in other brain regions. Expression in the pineal gland increases during the embryonic period and is maintained thereafter at levels equivalent to those found in the cerebellum and retina. In contrast, NeuroD1 mRNA decreases markedly in non-cerebellar brain regions during development. Pineal NeuroD1 levels are similar during the day and night, and do not appear to be influenced by sympathetic neural input. Gene expression analysis of the pineal glands from neonatal NeuroD1 knockout mice identifies 127 transcripts that are down-regulated (>twofold, p < 0.05) and 16 that are up-regulated (>twofold, p < 0.05). According to quantitative RT-PCR, the most dramatically down-regulated gene is kinesin family member 5C ( approximately 100-fold) and the most dramatically up-regulated gene is glutamic acid decarboxylase 1 ( approximately fourfold). Other impacted transcripts encode proteins involved in differentiation, development, signal transduction and trafficking. These findings represent the first step toward elucidating the role of NeuroD1 in the rodent pinealocyte.

Ontogenetic expression of the Otx2 and Crx homeobox genes in the retina of the rat

Otx2 and Crx are vertebrate orthologs of the orthodenticle family of homeobox genes, which are involved in retinal development. In this study, the temporal expression patterns of Otx2 and Crx in the rat retina during embryonic and postnatal stages of development were analyzed in detail. This confirmed the presence of Otx2 mRNA in both the embryonic retinal pigment epithelium and the developing neural retina. During development, the expression of Otx2 persists in the pigment epithelium, whereas Otx2 expression of the neural retina becomes progressively restricted to the outer nuclear layer and the outer part of the inner nuclear layer. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Otx2 protein is also present in cell bodies of the ganglion cell layer, which does not contain the Otx2 transcript, suggesting that Otx2 protein is synthesized in cell bodies of the bipolar neurons and then transported to and taken up by cells in the ganglion cell layer. Crx is also highly expressed in the outer nuclear layer starting at E17 and postnatally in the inner nuclear layer. The onset of expression of Crx lags behind that of Otx2 consistent with evidence that Otx2 activates Crx transcription. These expression patterns are consistent with evidence that Otx2 and Crx function during retinal development and extend the period of probable functionality to the adult. In this regard, these results provide an enhanced and expanded temporal and spatial framework for understanding the multiple roles of Otx2 and Crx in the developing and mature mammalian retina.

Proteomic analysis of day–night variations in protein levels in the rat pineal gland

The pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin. This secretion exhibits a circadian rhythm with a zenith during night and a nadir during day. We have performed proteome analysis of the superficial pineal gland in rats during daytime and nighttime. The proteins were extracted and subjected to 2-DE. Of 1747 protein spots revealed by electrophoresis, densitometric analysis showed the up-regulation of 25 proteins during nighttime and of 35 proteins during daytime. Thirty-seven of the proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. The proteins up-regulated during the night are involved in the Krebs cycle, energy transduction, calcium binding, and intracellular transport. During the daytime, enzymes involved in glycolysis, electron transport, and also the Krebs cycle were up-regulated as well as proteins taking part in RNA binding and RNA processing. Our data show a prominent day-night variation of the protein levels in the rat pineal gland. Some proteins are up-regulated during the night concomitant with the melatonin secretion of the gland. Other proteins are up-regulated during the day indicating a pineal metabolism not related to the melatonin synthesis.

The mammalian pineal gland: known facts, unknown facets

In the mammalian pineal gland, information on environmental lighting conditions that is neuronally encoded by the retina is converted into nocturnally elevated synthesis of the hormone melatonin. Evolutionary pressure has changed the morphology of vertebrate pinealocytes, eliminating direct photoreception and the endogenous clock function. Despite these changes, nocturnally elevated melatonin synthesis has remained a reliable indicator of time throughout evolution. In the photo-insensitive mammalian pineal gland this message of darkness depends on the master circadian pacemaker in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei. The dramatic change in vertebrate pinealocytes has received little attention; here, we therefore link the known evolutionary morphodynamics and well-investigated biochemical details responsible for rhythmic synthesis of melatonin with recently characterized patterns of gene expression in the pineal gland. We also address the enigmatic function of clockwork molecules in mammalian pinealocytes.

Daily rhythm in pineal phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity reflects adrenergic/3',5'-cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate induction of the PDE4B2 variant

The pineal gland is a photoneuroendocrine transducer that influences circadian and circannual dynamics of many physiological functions via the daily rhythm in melatonin production and release. Melatonin synthesis is stimulated at night by a photoneural system through which pineal adenylate cyclase is adrenergically activated, resulting in an elevation of cAMP. cAMP enhances melatonin synthesis through actions on several elements of the biosynthetic pathway. cAMP degradation also appears to increase at night due to an increase in phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity, which peaks in the middle of the night. Here, it was found that this nocturnal increase in PDE activity results from an increase in the abundance of PDE4B2 mRNA (approximately 5-fold; doubling time, approximately 2 h). The resulting level is notably higher (>6-fold) than in all other tissues examined, none of which exhibit a robust daily rhythm. The increase in PDE4B2 mRNA is followed by increases in PDE4B2 protein and PDE4 enzyme activity. Results from in vivo and in vitro studies indicate that these changes are due to activation of adrenergic receptors and a cAMP-dependent protein kinase A mechanism. Inhibition of PDE4 activity during the late phase of adrenergic stimulation enhances cAMP and melatonin levels. The evidence that PDE4B2 plays a negative feedback role in adrenergic/cAMP signaling in the pineal gland provides the first proof that cAMP control of PDE4B2 is a physiologically relevant control mechanism in cAMP signaling.

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase: "the Timezyme"

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase controls daily changes in melatonin production by the pineal gland and thereby plays a unique role in biological timing in vertebrates. Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase is also expressed in the retina, where it may play other roles in addition to signaling, including neurotransmission and detoxification. Large changes in activity reflect cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate-dependent phosphorylation of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, leading to formation of a regulatory complex with 14-3-3 proteins. This activates the enzyme and prevents proteosomal proteolysis. The conserved features of regulatory systems that control arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase are a circadian clock and environmental lighting.