1
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Burton DF, Boa-Amponsem OM, Dixon MS, Hopkins MJ, Herbin TA, Toney S, Tarpley M, Rodriguez BV, Fish EW, Parnell SE, Cole GJ, Williams KP. Pharmacological activation of the Sonic hedgehog pathway with a Smoothened small molecule agonist ameliorates the severity of alcohol-induced morphological and behavioral birth defects in a zebrafish model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1585-1601. [PMID: 35014067 PMCID: PMC9271529 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol exposure during the early stages of embryonic development can lead to a range of morphological and behavioral differences termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). In a zebrafish model, we have shown that acute ethanol exposure at 8-10 hr postfertilization (hpf), a critical time of development, produces birth defects similar to those clinically characterized in FASD. Dysregulation of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway has been implicated as a molecular basis for many of the birth defects caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. We observed in zebrafish embryos that shh expression was significantly decreased by ethanol exposure at 8-10 hpf, while smo expression was much less affected. Treatment of zebrafish embryos with SAG or purmorphamine, small molecule Smoothened agonists that activate Shh signaling, ameliorated the severity of ethanol-induced developmental malformations including altered eye size and midline brain development. Furthermore, this rescue effect of Smo activation was dose dependent and occurred primarily when treatment was given after ethanol exposure. Markers of Shh signaling (gli1/2) and eye development (pax6a) were restored in embryos treated with SAG post-ethanol exposure. Since embryonic ethanol exposure has been shown to produce later-life neurobehavioral impairments, juvenile zebrafish were examined in the novel tank diving test. Our results further demonstrated that in zebrafish embryos exposed to ethanol, SAG treatment was able to mitigate long-term neurodevelopmental impairments related to anxiety and risk-taking behavior. Our results indicate that pharmacological activation of the Shh pathway at specific developmental timing markedly diminishes the severity of alcohol-induced birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek F Burton
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Oswald M Boa-Amponsem
- Integrated Biosciences PhD Program, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria S Dixon
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael J Hopkins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Te-Andre Herbin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shiquita Toney
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael Tarpley
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Blanca V Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric W Fish
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott E Parnell
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gregory J Cole
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kevin P Williams
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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2
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Meyers EA, Kessler JA. TGF-β Family Signaling in Neural and Neuronal Differentiation, Development, and Function. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a022244. [PMID: 28130363 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a022244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Signaling by the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family is necessary for proper neural development and function throughout life. Sequential waves of activation, inhibition, and reactivation of TGF-β family members regulate numerous elements of the nervous system from the earliest stages of embryogenesis through adulthood. This review discusses the expression, regulation, and function of TGF-β family members in the central nervous system at various developmental stages, beginning with induction and patterning of the nervous system to their importance in the adult as modulators of inflammatory response and involvement in degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Meyers
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - John A Kessler
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
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3
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Danesin C, Soula C. Moving the Shh Source over Time: What Impact on Neural Cell Diversification in the Developing Spinal Cord? J Dev Biol 2017; 5:jdb5020004. [PMID: 29615562 PMCID: PMC5831764 DOI: 10.3390/jdb5020004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A substantial amount of data has highlighted the crucial influence of Shh signalling on the generation of diverse classes of neurons and glial cells throughout the developing central nervous system. A critical step leading to this diversity is the establishment of distinct neural progenitor cell domains during the process of pattern formation. The forming spinal cord, in particular, has served as an excellent model to unravel how progenitor cells respond to Shh to produce the appropriate pattern. In recent years, considerable advances have been made in our understanding of important parameters that control the temporal and spatial interpretation of the morphogen signal at the level of Shh-receiving progenitor cells. Although less studied, the identity and position of Shh source cells also undergo significant changes over time, raising the question of how moving the Shh source contributes to cell diversification in response to the morphogen. Here, we focus on the dynamics of Shh-producing cells and discuss specific roles for these time-variant Shh sources with regard to the temporal events occurring in the receiving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Danesin
- Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD) CNRS/UPS, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, 31520 Toulouse, France.
| | - Cathy Soula
- Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD) CNRS/UPS, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, 31520 Toulouse, France.
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4
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Turner KJ, Hawkins TA, Yáñez J, Anadón R, Wilson SW, Folgueira M. Afferent Connectivity of the Zebrafish Habenulae. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:30. [PMID: 27199671 PMCID: PMC4844923 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenulae are bilateral nuclei located in the dorsal diencephalon that are conserved across vertebrates. Here we describe the main afferents to the habenulae in larval and adult zebrafish. We observe afferents from the subpallium, nucleus rostrolateralis, posterior tuberculum, posterior hypothalamic lobe, median raphe; we also see asymmetric afferents from olfactory bulb to the right habenula, and from the parapineal to the left habenula. In addition, we find afferents from a ventrolateral telencephalic nucleus that neurochemical and hodological data identify as the ventral entopeduncular nucleus (vENT), confirming and extending observations of Amo et al. (2014). Fate map and marker studies suggest that vENT originates from the diencephalic prethalamic eminence and extends into the lateral telencephalon from 48 to 120 hour post-fertilization (hpf). No afferents to the habenula were observed from the dorsal entopeduncular nucleus (dENT). Consequently, we confirm that the vENT (and not the dENT) should be considered as the entopeduncular nucleus "proper" in zebrafish. Furthermore, comparison with data in other vertebrates suggests that the vENT is a conserved basal ganglia nucleus, being homologous to the entopeduncular nucleus of mammals (internal segment of the globus pallidus of primates) by both embryonic origin and projections, as previously suggested by Amo et al. (2014).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J. Turner
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
| | - Thomas A. Hawkins
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
| | - Julián Yáñez
- Neurover Group, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA) and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña (UDC)A Coruña, Spain
| | - Ramón Anadón
- Department of Cell Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Stephen W. Wilson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
| | - Mónica Folgueira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
- Neurover Group, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA) and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña (UDC)A Coruña, Spain
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5
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Payumo AY, Walker WJ, McQuade LE, Yamazoe S, Chen JK. Optochemical dissection of T-box gene-dependent medial floor plate development. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1466-75. [PMID: 25781211 DOI: 10.1021/cb5010178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In addition to their cell-autonomous roles in mesoderm development, the zebrafish T-box transcription factors no tail a (ntla) and spadetail (spt/tbx16) are required for medial floor plate (MFP) formation. Posterior MFP cells are completely absent in zebrafish embryos lacking both Ntla and Spt function, and genetic mosaic analyses have shown that the two T-box genes promote MFP development in a non-cell-autonomous manner. On the basis of these observations, it has been proposed that Ntla/Spt-dependent mesoderm-derived signals are required for the induction of posterior but not anterior MFP cells. To investigate the mechanisms by which Ntla and Spt regulate MFP development, we have used photoactivatable caged morpholinos (cMOs) to silence these T-box genes with spatiotemporal control. We find that posterior MFP formation requires Ntla or Spt activity during early gastrulation, specifically in lateral margin-derived cells that converge toward the midline during epiboly and somitogenesis. Nodal signaling-dependent MFP specification is maintained in the absence of Ntla and Spt function; however, midline cells in ntla;spt morphants exhibit aberrant morphogenetic movements, resulting in their anterior mislocalization. Our findings indicate that Ntla and Spt do not differentially regulate MFP induction along the anterior-posterior axis; rather, the T-box genes act redundantly within margin-derived cells to promote the posterior extension of MFP progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Y. Payumo
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ‡Department of Developmental
Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Whitney J. Walker
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ‡Department of Developmental
Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Lindsey E. McQuade
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ‡Department of Developmental
Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Sayumi Yamazoe
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ‡Department of Developmental
Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - James K. Chen
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ‡Department of Developmental
Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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England S, Batista MF, Mich JK, Chen JK, Lewis KE. Roles of Hedgehog pathway components and retinoic acid signalling in specifying zebrafish ventral spinal cord neurons. Development 2012; 138:5121-34. [PMID: 22069186 DOI: 10.1242/dev.066159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
In mouse, Hedgehog (Hh) signalling is required for most ventral spinal neurons to form. Here, we analyse the spinal cord phenotype of zebrafish maternal-zygotic smoothened (MZsmo) mutants that completely lack Hh signalling. We find that most V3 domain cells and motoneurons are lost, whereas medial floorplate still develops normally and V2, V1 and V0v cells form in normal numbers. This phenotype resembles that of mice that lack both Hh signalling and Gli repressor activity. Ventral spinal cord progenitor domain transcription factors are not expressed at 24 hpf in zebrafish MZsmo mutants. However, pMN, p2 and p1 domain markers are expressed at early somitogenesis stages in these mutants. This suggests that Gli repressor activity does not extend into zebrafish ventral spinal cord at these stages, even in the absence of Hh signalling. Consistent with this, ectopic expression of Gli3R represses ventral progenitor domain expression at these early stages and knocking down Gli repressor activity rescues later expression. We investigated whether retinoic acid (RA) signalling specifies ventral spinal neurons in the absence of Hh signalling. The results suggest that RA is required for the correct number of many different spinal neurons to form. This is probably mediated, in part, by an effect on cell proliferation. However, V0v, V1 and V2 cells are still present, even in the absence of both Hh and RA signalling. We demonstrate that Gli1 has a Hh-independent role in specifying most of the remaining motoneurons and V3 domain cells in embryos that lack Hh signalling, but removal of Gli1 activity does not affect more dorsal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha England
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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7
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Ribes V, Balaskas N, Sasai N, Cruz C, Dessaud E, Cayuso J, Tozer S, Yang LL, Novitch B, Marti E, Briscoe J. Distinct Sonic Hedgehog signaling dynamics specify floor plate and ventral neuronal progenitors in the vertebrate neural tube. Genes Dev 2010; 24:1186-200. [PMID: 20516201 PMCID: PMC2878655 DOI: 10.1101/gad.559910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2009] [Accepted: 04/07/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The secreted ligand Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) organizes the pattern of cellular differentiation in the ventral neural tube. For the five neuronal subtypes, increasing levels and durations of Shh signaling direct progenitors to progressively more ventral identities. Here we demonstrate that this mode of action is not applicable to the generation of the most ventral cell type, the nonneuronal floor plate (FP). In chick and mouse embryos, FP specification involves a biphasic response to Shh signaling that controls the dynamic expression of key transcription factors. During gastrulation and early somitogenesis, FP induction depends on high levels of Shh signaling. Subsequently, however, prospective FP cells become refractory to Shh signaling, and this is a prerequisite for the elaboration of their identity. This prompts a revision to the model of graded Shh signaling in the neural tube, and provides insight into how the dynamics of morphogen signaling are deployed to extend the patterning capacity of a single ligand. In addition, we provide evidence supporting a common scheme for FP specification by Shh signaling that reconciles mechanisms of FP development in teleosts and amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Ribes
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaos Balaskas
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Noriaki Sasai
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Catarina Cruz
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Dessaud
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Jordi Cayuso
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Samuel Tozer
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Lin Lin Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Ben Novitch
- Department of Neurobiology, Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Elisa Marti
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - James Briscoe
- Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
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8
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Chow ESH, Hui MNY, Lin CC, Cheng SH. Cadmium inhibits neurogenesis in zebrafish embryonic brain development. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2008; 87:157-169. [PMID: 18342959 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2008.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2007] [Revised: 01/17/2008] [Accepted: 01/25/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural progenitor cells was affected by cadmium. We observe prominent reductions in the expression of several proneuronal genes including ngn1 in cell clusters, zash1a in the developing optic tectum, and zash1b in the telencephalon and tectum. Cadmium-treated embryos also have fewer differentiated neurons and glia in the facial sensory ganglia as indicated by decreased zn-12 expression. Also, a lower transcription level of neurogenic genes, ngn1 and neuroD, is observed in neurons. Our data suggest that cadmium-induced neurotoxicity can be caused by impaired neurogenesis, resulting in markedly reduced neuronal differentiation and axonogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elly Suk Hen Chow
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, 1200 California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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9
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Liu A, Niswander LA. Bone morphogenetic protein signalling and vertebrate nervous system development. Nat Rev Neurosci 2007; 6:945-54. [PMID: 16340955 DOI: 10.1038/nrn1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) signalling, particularly signalling from the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) members of this protein family, is crucial for the development of both the central and peripheral nervous systems in vertebrates. Experimental embryology and genetics performed in a range of organisms are providing insights into how BMPs establish the neural tissue and control the types and numbers of neurons formed. These studies also highlight the interactions between different developmental signals that are necessary to form a functional nervous system. The challenges ahead will be to uncover functions of TGFbeta signalling in later stages of CNS development, as well as to determine possible associations with neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimin Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 12800 East 19th Avenue, Mailstop 8322, P.O. Box 6511, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
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10
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Ertzer R, Müller F, Hadzhiev Y, Rathnam S, Fischer N, Rastegar S, Strähle U. Cooperation of sonic hedgehog enhancers in midline expression. Dev Biol 2007; 301:578-89. [PMID: 17157288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2006] [Revised: 10/30/2006] [Accepted: 11/04/2006] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In zebrafish, as in other vertebrates, the secreted signalling molecule Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is expressed in organiser regions such as the embryonic midline and the zona limitans intrathalamica (zli). To investigate the regulatory mechanisms underlying the pattern of shh expression, we carried out a systematic analysis of the intronic regulatory sequences of zebrafish shh using stable transgenesis. Deletion analysis identified the modules responsible for expression in the embryonic shield, the hypothalamus and the zli and confirmed the activities of previously identified notochord and floor plate enhancers. We detected a strong synergism between regulatory regions. The degree of synergy varied over time in the hypothalamus suggesting different mechanisms for initiation and maintenance of expression. Our data show that the pattern of shh expression in the embryonic central nervous system involves an intricate crosstalk of at least 4 different regulatory regions. When compared to the enhancer activities of the mouse Shh gene, we observed a remarkable divergence of function of structurally conserved enhancer sequences. The activating region ar-C (61% identical to SFPE2 in mouse Shh), for example, mediates floor plate expression in the mouse embryo while it directs expression in the forebrain and the notochord and only weakly in the floor plate in the zebrafish embryo. This raises doubts on the predictive power of phylogenetic footprinting and indicates a stunning divergence of function of structurally conserved regulatory modules during vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Ertzer
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, BP 163, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, C.U. de Strasbourg, France
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11
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Chiou MJ, Chao TT, Wu JL, Kuo CM, Chen JY. The physiological role of CTGF/CCN2 in zebrafish notochond development and biological analysis of the proximal promoter region. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006; 349:750-8. [PMID: 16950203 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.08.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2006] [Accepted: 08/17/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
During mouse embryogenesis, CTGF/CCN2 is expressed in zones containing hypertrophic chondroctyes and calcifying cartilage such as long bones, ribs, vertebral column, and phalanges. But in fish, its expression is yet unclear. Development of the vertebrae is morphologically similar among vertebrates, indicating that the underlying mechanism regulating the process is highly conserved during evolution. Analysis of 3.2kb of the CTGF/CCN2 proximal promoter sequence revealed a consensus TATAA box, putative AP1, Brn-2, CdxA, C/EBP alpha, C/EBP beta, C-Ets-, delta E, HFH-2, and HSF2 binding sites. Transient expression experiments with a 5'-deletion revealed at least 4 regulatory regions in the zebrafish CTGF/CCN2 gene, 2 with a stimulatory effect on transcription and 2 with an apparent inhibitory effect after IGF-I treatment in the ZFL cell line. To study the promoter-specific expression, we constructed a series of CTGF/CCN2 (3.0-, 2.5-, 2.0-, 1.5-, 1.0-, and 0.4-kb) promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) fragments encoding the GFP cDNA transgene which was microinjected into zebrafish embryos. Morphological studies of transgenic zebrafish indicated that the CTGF/CCN2 promoter-driven GFP transcripts appeared in the notochord. Targeted knockdown of the CTGF/CCN2 gene by two antisense morpholino oligonucleotides resulted in disruptions to notochord development. From a comparative point of view, this study of the CTGF/CCN2 gene in zebrafish may correlate well with those previously published on the mouse. These molecular results suggest that CTGF/CCN2 plays an important role in notochord development and is required for general embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Jyun Chiou
- Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Jiaushi, Ilan 262, Taiwan, ROC
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12
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Yu RMK, Lin CC, Chan PK, Chow ESH, Murphy MB, Chan BP, Müller F, Strähle U, Cheng SH. Four-dimensional imaging and quantification of gene expression in early developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Toxicol Sci 2006; 90:529-38. [PMID: 16434501 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfj115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Four-dimensional (4D) imaging is a powerful tool for studying three-dimensional (3D) changes in an organism through time. Different imaging systems for obtaining 3D data from in vivo specimens have been developed but usually involved large and expensive machines. We successfully used a simple inverted compound microscope and a commercially available program to study and quantify in vivo changes in sonic hedgehog (shh) expression during early development in a green fluorescence protein (GFP) transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) line. We applied the 4D system to study the effect of 100 microM cadmium exposure on shh expression. In control zebrafish embryos, shh:GFP expression was detected at about 9 h post-fertilization (hpf) and increased steadily in the next 7 h, peaking at about 17 hpf and decreasing in the following 4 h. In the same time period, different shh expression volumes were observed in cadmium-treated and control embryos. Embryos affected by cadmium-exposure demonstrated a down-regulation in shh expression. The number of GFP-expressing cells measured by flow cytometry decreased, and expression of neurogenin-1, a downstream target of the shh signaling pathway, was down-regulated, providing additional supporting data on the effects of cadmium on shh. In summary, we demonstrated the setup of a 4D imaging system and its application to the quantification of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M K Yu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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13
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Abstract
One of the key organizers in the CNS is the floor plate - a group of cells that is responsible for instructing neural cells to acquire distinctive fates, and that has an important role in establishing the elaborate neuronal networks that underlie the function of the brain and spinal cord. In recent years, considerable controversy has arisen over the mechanism by which floor plate cells form. Here, we describe recent evidence that indicates that discrete populations of floor plate cells, with characteristic molecular properties, form in different regions of the neuraxis, and we discuss data that imply that the mode of floor plate induction varies along the anteroposterior axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marysia Placzek
- Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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14
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Norton WH, Mangoli M, Lele Z, Pogoda HM, Diamond B, Mercurio S, Russell C, Teraoka H, Stickney HL, Rauch GJ, Heisenberg CP, Houart C, Schilling TF, Frohnhoefer HG, Rastegar S, Neumann CJ, Gardiner RM, Strähle U, Geisler R, Rees M, Talbot WS, Wilson SW. Monorail/Foxa2 regulates floorplate differentiation and specification of oligodendrocytes, serotonergic raphé neurones and cranial motoneurones. Development 2005; 132:645-58. [PMID: 15677724 PMCID: PMC2790417 DOI: 10.1242/dev.01611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we elucidate the roles of the winged-helix transcription factor Foxa2 in ventral CNS development in zebrafish. Through cloning of monorail (mol), which we find encodes the transcription factor Foxa2, and phenotypic analysis of mol-/- embryos, we show that floorplate is induced in the absence of Foxa2 function but fails to further differentiate. In mol-/- mutants, expression of Foxa and Hh family genes is not maintained in floorplate cells and lateral expansion of the floorplate fails to occur. Our results suggest that this is due to defects both in the regulation of Hh activity in medial floorplate cells as well as cell-autonomous requirements for Foxa2 in the prospective laterally positioned floorplate cells themselves. Foxa2 is also required for induction and/or patterning of several distinct cell types in the ventral CNS. Serotonergic neurones of the raphenucleus and the trochlear motor nucleus are absent in mol-/- embryos, and oculomotor and facial motoneurones ectopically occupy ventral CNS midline positions in the midbrain and hindbrain. There is also a severe reduction of prospective oligodendrocytes in the midbrain and hindbrain. Finally, in the absence of Foxa2, at least two likely Hh pathway target genes are ectopically expressed in more dorsal regions of the midbrain and hindbrain ventricular neuroepithelium, raising the possibility that Foxa2 activity may normally be required to limit the range of action of secreted Hh proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will H. Norton
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maryam Mangoli
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK
| | - Zsolt Lele
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hans-Martin Pogoda
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center B315, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA
| | - Brianne Diamond
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center B315, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA
| | - Sara Mercurio
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Claire Russell
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hiroki Teraoka
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Heather L. Stickney
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center B315, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA
| | - Gerd-Jörg Rauch
- Department 3 – Genetics, Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstrasse 35/III, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Corinne Houart
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Thomas F. Schilling
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hans-Georg Frohnhoefer
- Department 3 – Genetics, Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstrasse 35/III, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sepand Rastegar
- IGBMC, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, Parc d’Innovation, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, C.U. de Strasbourg, France
| | | | - R. Mark Gardiner
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK
| | - Uwe Strähle
- Universität Heidelberg und Institut für Toxikologie und Genetik, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Postfach 3640, Germany
| | - Robert Geisler
- Department 3 – Genetics, Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstrasse 35/III, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michelle Rees
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK
| | - William S. Talbot
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center B315, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA
| | - Stephen W. Wilson
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer O Liang
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA
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16
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Dickmeis T, Plessy C, Rastegar S, Aanstad P, Herwig R, Chalmel F, Fischer N, Strähle U. Expression profiling and comparative genomics identify a conserved regulatory region controlling midline expression in the zebrafish embryo. Genome Res 2004; 14:228-38. [PMID: 14718378 PMCID: PMC327098 DOI: 10.1101/gr.1819204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Differential gene transcription is a fundamental regulatory mechanism of biological systems during development, body homeostasis, and disease. Comparative genomics is believed to be a rapid means for the identification of regulatory sequences in genomes. We tested this approach to identify regulatory sequences that control expression in the midline of the zebrafish embryo. We first isolated a set of genes that are coexpressed in the midline of the zebrafish embryo during somitogenesis stages by gene array analysis and subsequent rescreens by in situ hybridization. We subjected 45 of these genes to Compare and DotPlot analysis to detect conserved sequences in noncoding regions of orthologous loci in the zebrafish and Takifugu genomes. The regions of homology that were scored in nonconserved regions were inserted into expression vectors and tested for their regulatory activity by transient transgenesis in the zebrafish embryo. We identified one conserved region from the connective tissue growth factor gene (ctgf), which was able to drive expression in the midline of the embryo. This region shares sequence similarity with other floor plate/notochord-specific regulatory regions. Our results demonstrate that an unbiased comparative approach is a relevant method for the identification of tissue-specific cis-regulatory sequences in the zebrafish embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dickmeis
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, BP 10142, F-67404 Illkirch Cedex, C.U. de Strasbourg, France
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17
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Abstract
The ability of an animal to carry out its normal behavioral repertoire requires generation of an enormous diversity of neurons and glia. The relative simplicity of the spinal cord makes this an especially attractive part of the nervous system for addressing questions about the development of vertebrate neural specification and function. The last decade has witnessed an explosion in our understanding of spinal cord development and the functional interactions among spinal cord neurons and glia. Cellular, genetic, molecular, physiological and behavioral studies in zebrafish have all been important in providing insights into questions that remained unanswered by studies from other vertebrate model organisms. This is the case because many zebrafish spinal neurons can be individually identified and followed over time in living embryos and larvae. In this review, we discuss what is currently known about the cellular, genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in specifying distinct cell types in the zebrafish spinal cord and how these cells establish the functional circuitry that mediates particular behaviors. We start by describing the early signals and morphogenetic movements that form the nervous system, and in particular, the spinal cord. We then provide an overview of the cell types within the spinal cord and describe how they are specified and patterned. We begin ventrally with floor plate and proceed dorsally, through motoneurons and oligodendrocytes, interneurons, astrocytes and radial glia, spinal sensory neurons and neural crest. We next describe axon pathfinding of spinal neurons. Finally, we discuss the roles of particular spinal cord neurons in specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine E Lewis
- Institute of Neuroscience, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
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