1
|
Leung AOW, Poon ACH, Wang X, Feng C, Chen P, Zheng Z, To MK, Chan WCW, Cheung M, Chan D. Suppression of apoptosis impairs phalangeal joint formation in the pathogenesis of brachydactyly type A1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2229. [PMID: 38472182 PMCID: PMC10933404 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45053-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis occurs during development when a separation of tissues is needed. Synovial joint formation is initiated at the presumptive site (interzone) within a cartilage anlagen, with changes in cellular differentiation leading to cavitation and tissue separation. Apoptosis has been detected in phalangeal joints during development, but its role and regulation have not been defined. Here, we use a mouse model of brachydactyly type A1 (BDA1) with an IhhE95K mutation, to show that a missing middle phalangeal bone is due to the failure of the developing joint to cavitate, associated with reduced apoptosis, and a joint is not formed. We showed an intricate relationship between IHH and interacting partners, CDON and GAS1, in the interzone that regulates apoptosis. We propose a model in which CDON/GAS1 may act as dependence receptors in this context. Normally, the IHH level is low at the center of the interzone, enabling the "ligand-free" CDON/GAS1 to activate cell death for cavitation. In BDA1, a high concentration of IHH suppresses apoptosis. Our findings provided new insights into the role of IHH and CDON in joint formation, with relevance to hedgehog signaling in developmental biology and diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian On Wah Leung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Andrew Chung Hin Poon
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xue Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chen Feng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Hebei Orthopedic Clinical Research Center, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050051, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Peikai Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong -Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhengfan Zheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Michael KaiTsun To
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong -Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), Shenzhen, China
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wilson Cheuk Wing Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong -Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), Shenzhen, China.
| | - Martin Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Danny Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
She Y, Ren R, Jiang N. Mechanical stress can regulate temporomandibular joint cavitation via signalling pathways. Dev Biol 2024; 507:1-8. [PMID: 38114053 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), composed of temporal fossa, mandibular condyle and a fibrocartilage disc with upper and lower cavities, is the biggest synovial joint and biomechanical hinge of the craniomaxillofacial musculoskeletal system. The initial events that give rise to TMJ cavities across diverse species are not fully understood. Most studies focus on the pivotal role of molecules such as Indian hedgehog (Ihh) and hyaluronic acid (HA) in TMJ cavitation. Although biologists have observed that mechanical stress plays an irreplaceable role in the development of biological tissues and organs, few studies have been concerned with how mechanical stress regulates TMJ cavitation. Based on the evidence from human or other animal embryos today, it is implicated that mechanical stress plays an essential role in TMJ cavitation. In this review, we discuss the relationship between mechanical stress and TMJ cavitation from evo-devo perspectives and review the clinical features and potential pathogenesis of TMJ dysplasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yilin She
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease and West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease and West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease and West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Losa M, Barozzi I, Osterwalder M, Hermosilla-Aguayo V, Morabito A, Chacón BH, Zarrineh P, Girdziusaite A, Benazet JD, Zhu J, Mackem S, Capellini TD, Dickel D, Bobola N, Zuniga A, Visel A, Zeller R, Selleri L. A spatio-temporally constrained gene regulatory network directed by PBX1/2 acquires limb patterning specificity via HAND2. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3993. [PMID: 37414772 PMCID: PMC10325989 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39443-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A lingering question in developmental biology has centered on how transcription factors with widespread distribution in vertebrate embryos can perform tissue-specific functions. Here, using the murine hindlimb as a model, we investigate the elusive mechanisms whereby PBX TALE homeoproteins, viewed primarily as HOX cofactors, attain context-specific developmental roles despite ubiquitous presence in the embryo. We first demonstrate that mesenchymal-specific loss of PBX1/2 or the transcriptional regulator HAND2 generates similar limb phenotypes. By combining tissue-specific and temporally controlled mutagenesis with multi-omics approaches, we reconstruct a gene regulatory network (GRN) at organismal-level resolution that is collaboratively directed by PBX1/2 and HAND2 interactions in subsets of posterior hindlimb mesenchymal cells. Genome-wide profiling of PBX1 binding across multiple embryonic tissues further reveals that HAND2 interacts with subsets of PBX-bound regions to regulate limb-specific GRNs. Our research elucidates fundamental principles by which promiscuous transcription factors cooperate with cofactors that display domain-restricted localization to instruct tissue-specific developmental programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Losa
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Institute for Human Genetics, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Orofacial Sciences and Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Iros Barozzi
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Osterwalder
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department for Biomedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Viviana Hermosilla-Aguayo
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Institute for Human Genetics, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Orofacial Sciences and Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Angela Morabito
- Developmental Genetics, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Brandon H Chacón
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Institute for Human Genetics, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Orofacial Sciences and Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Peyman Zarrineh
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ausra Girdziusaite
- Developmental Genetics, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean Denis Benazet
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Institute for Human Genetics, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Orofacial Sciences and Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jianjian Zhu
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Susan Mackem
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Terence D Capellini
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Diane Dickel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nicoletta Bobola
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Aimée Zuniga
- Developmental Genetics, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Axel Visel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Rolf Zeller
- Developmental Genetics, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Licia Selleri
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Institute for Human Genetics, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Orofacial Sciences and Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ono SF, Cordeiro IR, Kishida O, Ochi H, Tanaka M. Air-breathing behavior underlies the cell death in limbs of Rana pirica tadpoles. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2023; 9:2. [PMID: 36624534 PMCID: PMC9830891 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-022-00199-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians shape their limbs by differential outgrowth of digits and interdigital regions. In contrast, amniotes employ cell death, an additional developmental system, to determine the final shape of limbs. Previous work has shown that high oxygen availability is correlated with the induction of cell death in developing limbs. Given the diversity of life histories of amphibians, it is conceivable that some amphibians are exposed to a high-oxygen environment during the tadpole phase and exhibit cell death in their limbs. Here, we examined whether air-breathing behavior underlies the cell death in limbs of aquatic tadpoles of the frog species Rana pirica. Our experimental approach revealed that R. pirica tadpoles exhibit cell death in their limbs that is likely to be induced by oxidative stress associated with their frequent air-breathing behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Satomi F Ono
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Ingrid Rosenburg Cordeiro
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Osamu Kishida
- Tomakomai Experimental Forest, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Tomakomai, Hokkaido, 053-0035, Japan
| | - Haruki Ochi
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan
| | - Mikiko Tanaka
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Nagai H, Tanoue Y, Nakamura T, Chan CJJ, Yamada S, Saitou M, Fukuda T, Sheng G. Mesothelial fusion mediates chorioallantoic membrane formation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210263. [PMID: 36252211 PMCID: PMC9574633 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In amniotic vertebrates (birds, reptiles and mammals), an extraembryonic structure called the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) functions as respiratory organ for embryonic development. The CAM is derived from fusion between two pre-existing membranes, the allantois, a hindgut diverticulum and a reservoir for metabolic waste, and the chorion which marks the embryo's external boundary. Modified CAM in eutherian mammals, including humans, gives rise to chorioallantoic placenta. Despite its importance, little is known about cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating CAM formation and maturation. In this work, using the avian model, we focused on the early phase of CAM morphogenesis when the allantois and chorion meet and initiate fusion. We report here that chicken chorioallantoic fusion takes place when the allantois reaches the size of 2.5-3.0 mm in diameter and in about 6 hours between E3.75 and E4. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence analyses suggested that before fusion, in both the allantois and chorion, an epithelial-shaped mesothelial layer is present, which dissolves after fusion, presumably by undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The fusion process per se, however, is independent of allantoic growth, circulation, or its connection to the developing mesonephros. Mesoderm cells derived from the allantois and chorion can intermingle post-fusion, and chorionic ectoderm cells exhibit a specialized sub-apical intercellular interface, possibly to facilitate infiltration of allantois-derived vascular progenitors into the chorionic ectoderm territory for optimal oxygen transport. Finally, we investigated chorioallantoic fusion-like process in primates, with limited numbers of archived human and fresh macaque samples. We summarize the similarities and differences of CAM formation among different amniote groups and propose that mesothelial epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediates chorioallantoic fusion in most amniotic vertebrates. Further study is needed to clarify tissue morphogenesis leading to chorioallantoic fusion in primates. Elucidating molecular mechanisms regulating mesothelial integrity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition will also help understand mesothelial diseases in the adult, including mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and fibrosis. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Nagai
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yuki Tanoue
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Tomonori Nakamura
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBI), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Christopher J. J. Chan
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Shigehito Yamada
- Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Mitinori Saitou
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBI), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takaichi Fukuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Guojun Sheng
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mechanical Regulation of Limb Bud Formation. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030420. [PMID: 35159230 PMCID: PMC8834596 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Early limb bud development has been of considerable interest for the study of embryological development and especially morphogenesis. The focus has long been on biochemical signalling and less on cell biomechanics and mechanobiology. However, their importance cannot be understated since tissue shape changes are ultimately controlled by active forces and bulk tissue rheological properties that in turn depend on cell-cell interactions as well as extracellular matrix composition. Moreover, the feedback between gene regulation and the biomechanical environment is still poorly understood. In recent years, novel experimental techniques and computational models have reinvigorated research on this biomechanical and mechanobiological side of embryological development. In this review, we consider three stages of early limb development, namely: outgrowth, elongation, and condensation. For each of these stages, we summarize basic biological regulation and examine the role of cellular and tissue mechanics in the morphogenetic process.
Collapse
|
7
|
Stainton H, Towers M. Retinoic acid influences the timing and scaling of avian wing development. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110288. [PMID: 35081337 PMCID: PMC8810399 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in biology is how embryonic development is timed between different species. To address this problem, we compared wing development in the quail and the larger chick. We reveal that pattern formation is faster in the quail as determined by the earlier activation of 5′Hox genes, termination of developmental organizers (Shh and Fgf8), and the laying down of the skeleton (Sox9). Using interspecies tissue grafts, we show that developmental timing can be reset during a critical window of retinoic acid signaling. Accordingly, extending the duration of retinoic acid signaling switches developmental timing between the quail and the chick and the chick and the larger turkey. However, the incremental growth rate is comparable between all three species, suggesting that the pace of development primarily governs differences in the expansion of the skeletal pattern. The widespread distribution of retinoic acid could coordinate developmental timing throughout the embryo. Quail wings develop faster than chick and turkey wings Retinoic acid can set the species timing of wing development Developmental timing is independent of growth and scales the skeletal pattern
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Holly Stainton
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Matthew Towers
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Díaz-Hernández ME, Galván-Hernández CI, Marín-Llera JC, Camargo-Sosa K, Bustamante M, Wischin S, Chimal-Monroy J. Activation of the WNT-BMP-FGF Regulatory Network Induces the Onset of Cell Death in Anterior Mesodermal Cells to Establish the ANZ. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:703836. [PMID: 34820367 PMCID: PMC8606791 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.703836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatiotemporal control of programmed cell death (PCD) plays a significant role in sculpting the limb. In the early avian limb bud, the anterior necrotic zone (ANZ) and the posterior necrotic zone are two cell death regions associated with digit number reduction. In this study, we evaluated the first events triggered by the FGF, BMP, and WNT signaling interactions to initiate cell death in the anterior margin of the limb to establish the ANZ. This study demonstrates that in a period of two to 8 h after the inhibition of WNT or FGF signaling or the activation of BMP signaling, cell death was induced in the anterior margin of the limb concomitantly with the regulation of Dkk, Fgf8, and Bmp4 expression. Comparing the gene expression profile between the ANZ and the undifferentiated zone at 22HH and 25HH and between the ANZ of 22HH and 25HH stages correlates with functional programs controlled by the regulatory network FGF, BMP, and WNT signaling in the anterior margin of the limb. This work provides novel insights to recognize a negative feedback loop between FGF8, BMP4, and DKK to control the onset of cell death in the anterior margin of the limb to the establishment of the ANZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martha Elena Díaz-Hernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| | - Claudio Iván Galván-Hernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| | - Jessica Cristina Marín-Llera
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| | - Karen Camargo-Sosa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| | - Marcia Bustamante
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| | - Sabina Wischin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| | - Jesús Chimal-Monroy
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cook LE, Newton AH, Hipsley CA, Pask AJ. Postnatal development in a marsupial model, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuromorphia: Dasyuridae). Commun Biol 2021; 4:1028. [PMID: 34475507 PMCID: PMC8413461 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02506-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Marsupials exhibit unique biological features that provide fascinating insights into many aspects of mammalian development. These include their distinctive mode of reproduction, altricial stage at birth, and the associated heterochrony that is required for their crawl to the pouch and teat attachment. Marsupials are also an invaluable resource for mammalian comparative biology, forming a distinct lineage from the extant placental and egg-laying monotreme mammals. Despite their unique biology, marsupial resources are lagging behind those available for placentals. The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) is a laboratory based marsupial model, with simple and robust husbandry requirements and a short reproductive cycle making it amenable to experimental manipulations. Here we present a detailed staging series for the fat-tailed dunnart, focusing on their accelerated development of the forelimbs and jaws. This study provides the first skeletal developmental series on S. crassicaudata and provides a fundamental resource for future studies exploring mammalian diversification, development and evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Cook
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Axel H Newton
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Sciences, Museums Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Sciences, Museums Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xu H, Xiang M, Qin Y, Cheng H, Chen D, Fu Q, Zhang KK, Xie L. Tbx5 inhibits hedgehog signaling in determination of digit identity. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:1405-1416. [PMID: 31373354 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Dominant TBX5 mutation causes Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS), which is characterized by limb defects in humans, but the underlying mechanistic basis is unclear. We used a mouse model with Tbx5 conditional knockdown in Hh-receiving cells (marked by Gli1+) during E8 to E10.5, a previously established model to study atrial septum defects, which displayed polydactyly or hypodactyly. The results suggested that Tbx5 is required for digit identity in a subset of limb mesenchymal cells. Specifically, Tbx5 deletion in this cell population decreased cell apoptosis and increased the proliferation of handplate mesenchymal cells. Furthermore, Tbx5 was found to negatively regulate the Hh-signaling activity through transcriptional regulation of Ptch1, a known Hh-signaling repressor. Repression of Hh-signaling through Smo co-mutation in Tbx5 heterozygotes rescued the limb defects, thus placing Tbx5 upstream of Hh-signaling in limb defects. This work reveals an important missing component necessary for understanding not only limb development but also the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying HOS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huiting Xu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.,Hubei Cancer Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Menglan Xiang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Yushu Qin
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Henghui Cheng
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Duohua Chen
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Department of Food Science, Changsha University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.,Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Ke K Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences & Technology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Linglin Xie
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.,Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Tomizawa RR, Tabin CJ, Atsuta Y. In ovo electroporation of chicken limb bud ectoderm: Electroporation to chick limb ectoderm. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:1628-1638. [PMID: 33899315 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deciphering how ectodermal tissues form, and how they maintain their integrity, is crucial for understanding epidermal development and pathogenesis. However, lack of simple and rapid gene manipulation techniques limits genetic studies to elucidate mechanisms underlying these events. RESULTS Here we describe an easy method for electroporation of chick limb bud ectoderm enabling gene manipulation during ectoderm development and wound healing. Taking advantage of a small parafilm well that constrains DNA plasmids locally and the fact that the limb ectoderm arises from a defined site, we target the limb ectoderm forming region by in ovo electroporation. This approach results in focal and efficient transgenesis of the limb ectodermal cells. Further, using a previously described Msx2 promoter, gene manipulation can be specifically targeted to the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), a signaling center regulating limb development. Using the electroporation technique to deliver a fluorescent marker into the embryonic limb ectoderm, we show its utility in performing time-lapse imaging during wound healing. This analysis revealed previously unrecognized dynamic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and lamellipodia formation at the edges of the wound. We find that the lamellipodia formation requires activity of Rac1 GTPase, suggesting its necessity for wound closure. CONCLUSION Our method is simple and easy. Thus, it would permit high throughput tests for gene function during limb ectodermal development and wound healing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yuji Atsuta
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lorda-Diez CI, Duarte-Olivenza C, Hurle JM, Montero JA. Transforming growth factor beta signaling: The master sculptor of fingers. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:125-136. [PMID: 33871876 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) constitutes a large and evolutionarily conserved superfamily of secreted factors that play essential roles in embryonic development, cancer, tissue regeneration, and human degenerative pathology. Studies of this signaling cascade in the regulation of cellular and tissue changes in the three-dimensional context of a developing embryo have notably advanced in the understanding of the action mechanism of these growth factors. In this review, we address the role of TGFβ signaling in the developing limb, focusing on its essential function in the morphogenesis of the autopod. As we discuss in this work, modern mouse genetic experiments together with more classical embryological approaches in chick embryos, provided very valuable information concerning the role of TGFβ and Activin family members in the morphogenesis of the digits of tetrapods, including the formation of phalanxes, digital tendons, and interphalangeal joints. We emphasize the importance of the Activin and TGFβ proteins as digit inducing factors and their critical interaction with the BMP signaling to sculpt the hand and foot morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos I Lorda-Diez
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Cristina Duarte-Olivenza
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Juan M Hurle
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Juan A Montero
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
He J, Yan J, Wang J, Zhao L, Xin Q, Zeng Y, Sun Y, Zhang H, Bai Z, Li Z, Ni Y, Gong Y, Li Y, He H, Bian Z, Lan Y, Ma C, Bian L, Zhu H, Liu B, Yue R. Dissecting human embryonic skeletal stem cell ontogeny by single-cell transcriptomic and functional analyses. Cell Res 2021; 31:742-757. [PMID: 33473154 PMCID: PMC8249634 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00467-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human skeletal stem cells (SSCs) have been discovered in fetal and adult long bones. However, the spatiotemporal ontogeny of human embryonic SSCs during early skeletogenesis remains elusive. Here we map the transcriptional landscape of human limb buds and embryonic long bones at single-cell resolution to address this fundamental question. We found remarkable heterogeneity within human limb bud mesenchyme and epithelium, and aligned them along the proximal–distal and anterior–posterior axes using known marker genes. Osteo-chondrogenic progenitors first appeared in the core limb bud mesenchyme, which give rise to multiple populations of stem/progenitor cells in embryonic long bones undergoing endochondral ossification. Importantly, a perichondrial embryonic skeletal stem/progenitor cell (eSSPC) subset was identified, which could self-renew and generate the osteochondral lineage cells, but not adipocytes or hematopoietic stroma. eSSPCs are marked by the adhesion molecule CADM1 and highly enriched with FOXP1/2 transcriptional network. Interestingly, neural crest-derived cells with similar phenotypic markers and transcriptional networks were also found in the sagittal suture of human embryonic calvaria. Taken together, this study revealed the cellular heterogeneity and lineage hierarchy during human embryonic skeletogenesis, and identified distinct skeletal stem/progenitor cells that orchestrate endochondral and intramembranous ossification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian He
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Jing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Jianfang Wang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Liangyu Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - Qian Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yuxi Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Transfusion, Daping Hospital, Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Zhijie Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Zongcheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yanli Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yandong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yunqiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Han He
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Zhilei Bian
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Yu Lan
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510632, China.,Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health-Guangdong Laboratory (GRMH-GDL), Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510530, China
| | - Chunyu Ma
- Department of Gynecology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Lihong Bian
- Department of Gynecology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Heng Zhu
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, China.
| | - Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China. .,Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510632, China.
| | - Rui Yue
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Cordeiro IR, Yu R, Tanaka M. Regulation of the limb shape during the development of the Chinese softshell turtles. Evol Dev 2020; 22:451-462. [PMID: 32906209 PMCID: PMC7757393 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Interdigital cell death is an important mechanism employed by amniotes to shape their limbs; inhibiting this process leads to the formation of webbed fingers, as seen in bats and ducks. The Chinese softshell turtle Pelodiscus sinensis (Reptilia: Testudines: Trionychidae) has a distinctive limb morphology: the anterior side of the limbs has partially webbed fingers with claw‐like protrusions, while the posterior fingers are completely enclosed in webbings. Here, P. sinensis embryos were investigated to gain insights on the evolution of limb‐shaping mechanisms in amniotes. We found cell death and cell senescence in their interdigital webbings. Spatial or temporal modulation of these processes were correlated with the appearance of indentations in the webbings, but not a complete regression of this tissue. No differences in interdigital cell proliferation were found. In subsequent stages, differential growth of the finger cartilages led to a major difference in limb shape. While no asymmetry in bone morphogenetic protein signaling was evident during interdigital cell death stages, some components of this pathway were expressed exclusively in the clawed digit tips, which also had earlier ossification. In addition, a delay and/or truncation in the chondrogenesis of the posterior digits was found in comparison with the anterior digits of P. sinensis, and also when compared with the previously published pattern of digit skeletogenesis of turtles without posterior webbings. In conclusion, modulation of cell death, as well as a heterochrony in digit chondrogenesis, may contribute to the formation of the unique limbs of the Chinese softshell turtles. Cell death and senescence shape the interdigital webbings of Pelodiscus sinensis. Delayed chondrogenesis/ossification and truncated tips are found in posterior digits, as well as differential expression of bone morphogenetic proteins and Msh homeobox 1 transcription factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid R Cordeiro
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Reiko Yu
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Mikiko Tanaka
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Montero JA, Lorda-Diez CI, Sanchez-Fernandez C, Hurle JM. Cell death in the developing vertebrate limb: A locally regulated mechanism contributing to musculoskeletal tissue morphogenesis and differentiation. Dev Dyn 2020; 250:1236-1247. [PMID: 32798262 PMCID: PMC8451844 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Our aim is to critically review current knowledge of the function and regulation of cell death in the developing limb. We provide a detailed, but short, overview of the areas of cell death observed in the developing limb, establishing their function in morphogenesis and structural development of limb tissues. We will examine the functions of this process in the formation and growth of the limb primordia, formation of cartilaginous skeleton, formation of synovial joints, and establishment of muscle bellies, tendons, and entheses. We will analyze the plasticity of the cell death program by focusing on the developmental potential of progenitors prior to death. Considering the prolonged plasticity of progenitors to escape from the death process, we will discuss a new biological perspective that explains cell death: this process, rather than secondary to a specific genetic program, is a consequence of the tissue building strategy employed by the embryo based on the formation of scaffolds that disintegrate once their associated neighboring structures differentiate. We examine the functions of cell death in the formation and growth of the limb primordia. We analyze the plasticity of the cell death program by focusing on the developmental potential of progenitors prior to death. Considering the prolonged plasticity of progenitors to escape from the death process and the absence of defined genetic program in their regulation we propose that cell death is a consequence of the tissue building strategy employed by the embryo regulated by epigenetic factors .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Montero
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Carlos I Lorda-Diez
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | | | - Juan M Hurle
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Tokita M, Matsushita H, Asakura Y. Developmental mechanisms underlying webbed foot morphological diversity in waterbirds. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8028. [PMID: 32415088 PMCID: PMC7229147 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64786-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The webbed feet of waterbirds are morphologically diverse and classified into four types: the palmate foot, semipalmate foot, totipalmate foot, and lobate foot. To understand the developmental mechanisms underlying this morphological diversity, we conducted a series of comparative analyses. Ancestral state reconstruction based on phylogeny assumed that the lobate feet possessed by the common coot and little grebe arose independently, perhaps through distinct developmental mechanisms. Gremlin1, which encodes a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonist and inhibits interdigital cell death (ICD) in the foot plate of avian embryos, remained expressed in the interdigital tissues of webbed feet in the duck, common coot, little grebe, and great cormorant. Differences in Gremlin1 expression pattern and proliferating cell distribution pattern in the toe tissues of the common coot and little grebe support the convergent evolution of lobate feet. In the totipalmate-footed great cormorant, Gremlin1 was expressed in all interdigital tissues at St. 31, but its expression disappeared except along the toes by St. 33. The webbing of the cormorant's totipalmate foot and duck's palmate foot may have risen from distinct developmental mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masayoshi Tokita
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan.
| | - Hiroya Matsushita
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
- Department of Polar Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 10-3 Midori-machi, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
| | - Yuya Asakura
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
- Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Kenjojima, Matsuoka, Eiheiji-cho, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Takase Y, Takahashi Y. Blood flow-mediated gene transfer and siRNA-knockdown in the developing vasculature in a spatio-temporally controlled manner in chicken embryos. Dev Biol 2019; 456:8-16. [PMID: 31400307 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We describe a method by which early developing vasculature can be gene-manipulated independently of the heart in a spatio-temporally controlled manner. Lipofectamine 2000 or 3000, an easy-to-use lipid reagent, has been found to yield a high efficiency of transfection when co-injected with GFP DNA within a critical range of lipid concentration. By exploiting developmentally changing patterns of vasculature and blood flow, we have succeed in controlling the site of transfection: injection with a lipid-DNA cocktail into the heart before or after the blood circulation starts results in a limited and widely spread patterns of transfection, respectively. Furthermore, a cocktail injection into the right dorsal aorta leads to transgenesis of the right half of embryonic vasculature. In addition, this method combined with the siRNA technique has allowed, for the first time, to knockdown the endogenous expression of VE-cadherin (also called Cdh5), which has been implicated in assembly of nasant blood vessels: when Cah5 siRNA is injected into the right dorsal aorta, pronounced defects in the right half of vasculature are observed without heart defects. Whereas infusion-mediated gene transfection method has previously been reported using lipid reagents that were elaborately prepared on their own, Lipofectamine is an easy-use reagent with no requirement of special expertise. The methods reported here would overcome shortcomings of conventional vascular-transgenic animals, such as mice and zebrafish, in which pan-endothelial enhancer-driven transgenesis often leads to the heart malformation, which, in turn, indirectly affects peripheral vasculature due to flow defects. Since a variety of subtypes in vasculature have increasingly been appreciated, the spatio-temporally controllable gene manipulation described in this study offers a powerful tool to understand how the vasculature is established at the molecular level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Takase
- Mathematics-based Creation of Science Program (MACS), Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan; Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Takahashi
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan; AMED Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tran MP, Tsutsumi R, Erberich JM, Chen KD, Flores MD, Cooper KL. Evolutionary loss of foot muscle during development with characteristics of atrophy and no evidence of cell death. eLife 2019; 8:50645. [PMID: 31612857 PMCID: PMC6855805 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species that run or leap across sparsely vegetated habitats, including horses and deer, evolved the severe reduction or complete loss of foot muscles as skeletal elements elongated and digits were lost, and yet the developmental mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we report the natural loss of foot muscles in the bipedal jerboa, Jaculus jaculus. Although adults have no muscles in their feet, newborn animals have muscles that rapidly disappear soon after birth. We were surprised to find no evidence of apoptotic or necrotic cell death during stages of peak myofiber loss, countering well-supported assumptions of developmental tissue remodeling. We instead see hallmarks of muscle atrophy, including an ordered disassembly of the sarcomere associated with upregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligases, MuRF1 and Atrogin-1. We propose that the natural loss of muscle, which remodeled foot anatomy during evolution and development, involves cellular mechanisms that are typically associated with disease or injury. Intrinsic muscles are a group of muscles deep inside the hands and feet. They help to control the precise movements required, for example, for a pianist to play their instrument or for certain animals to climb with remarkable agility. Some animals, such as horses and deer, have evolved in such a way that they no longer grasp objects with hands and feet. Where intrinsic muscles were once present in the hands and feet of their ancestors, these animals now have strong ligaments that prevent over-extension of the wrist and ankle joints during hard landings. Given their size, it is difficult to study horses and deer in the laboratory and understand how they lost their intrinsic muscles during evolution. Tran et al. therefore focused on a small rodent called the lesser Egyptian jerboa, which also displays long legs with strong ligaments and no intrinsic muscles. Newborn jerboas have foot muscles that look very much like the intrinsic muscles found in mice, but these muscles disappear within 4 days of birth. A mechanism called programmed cell death is often responsible for specific tissues disappearing during development, but the experiments of Tran et al. revealed that this was not the case in jerboas. Instead, their intrinsic muscles were degraded by processes triggered by genes that disassemble underused muscles. In mice and humans, fasting, nerve injuries, or immobility trigger this type of muscle degradation, but in jerboas these processes appear to be a normal part of development. This unexpected discovery shows that development and disease-like processes are linked, and that more studies of nontraditional research animals may help scientists better understand these connections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mai P Tran
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Rio Tsutsumi
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Joel M Erberich
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Kevin D Chen
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Michelle D Flores
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Kimberly L Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Cordeiro IR, Kabashima K, Ochi H, Munakata K, Nishimori C, Laslo M, Hanken J, Tanaka M. Environmental Oxygen Exposure Allows for the Evolution of Interdigital Cell Death in Limb Patterning. Dev Cell 2019; 50:155-166.e4. [PMID: 31204171 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians form fingers without webbing by differential growth between digital and interdigital regions. Amniotes, however, employ interdigital cell death (ICD), an additional mechanism that contributes to a greater variation of limb shapes. Here, we investigate the role of environmental oxygen in the evolution of ICD in tetrapods. While cell death is restricted to the limb margin in amphibians with aquatic tadpoles, Eleutherodactylus coqui, a frog with terrestrial-direct-developing eggs, has cell death in the interdigital region. Chicken requires sufficient oxygen and reactive oxygen species to induce cell death, with the oxygen tension profile itself being distinct between the limbs of chicken and Xenopus laevis frogs. Notably, increasing blood vessel density in X. laevis limbs, as well as incubating tadpoles under high oxygen levels, induces ICD. We propose that the oxygen available to terrestrial eggs was an ecological feature crucial for the evolution of ICD, made possible by conserved autopod-patterning mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Rosenburg Cordeiro
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Kaori Kabashima
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Haruki Ochi
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
| | - Keijiro Munakata
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Chika Nishimori
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Mara Laslo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - James Hanken
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mikiko Tanaka
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
UHRF genes regulate programmed interdigital tissue regression and chondrogenesis in the embryonic limb. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:347. [PMID: 31024001 PMCID: PMC6484032 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1575-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The primordium of the limb contains a number of progenitors far superior to those necessary to form the skeletal components of this appendage. During the course of development, precursors that do not follow the skeletogenic program are removed by cell senescence and apoptosis. The formation of the digits provides the most representative example of embryonic remodeling via cell degeneration. In the hand/foot regions of the embryonic vertebrate limb (autopod), the interdigital tissue and the zones of interphalangeal joint formation undergo massive degeneration that accounts for jointed and free digit morphology. Developmental senescence and caspase-dependent apoptosis are considered responsible for these remodeling processes. Our study uncovers a new upstream level of regulation of remodeling by the epigenetic regulators Uhrf1 and Uhrf2 genes. These genes are spatially and temporally expressed in the pre-apoptotic regions. UHRF1 and UHRF2 showed a nuclear localization associated with foci of methylated cytosine. Interestingly, nuclear labeling increased in cells progressing through the stages of degeneration prior to TUNEL positivity. Functional analysis in cultured limb skeletal progenitors via the overexpression of either UHRF1 or UHRF2 inhibited chondrogenesis and induced cell senescence and apoptosis accompanied with changes in global and regional DNA methylation. Uhrfs modulated canonical cell differentiation factors, such as Sox9 and Scleraxis, promoted apoptosis via up-regulation of Bak1, and induced cell senescence, by arresting progenitors at the S phase and upregulating the expression of p21. Expression of Uhrf genes in vivo was positively modulated by FGF signaling. In the micromass culture assay Uhrf1 was down-regulated as the progenitors lost stemness and differentiated into cartilage. Together, our findings emphasize the importance of tuning the balance between cell differentiation and cell stemness as a central step in the initiation of the so-called “embryonic programmed cell death” and suggest that the structural organization of the chromatin, via epigenetic modifications, may be a precocious and critical factor in these regulatory events.
Collapse
|
21
|
Bosch PJ, Fuller LC, Weiner JA. A critical role for the nuclear protein Akirin2 in the formation of mammalian muscle in vivo. Genesis 2019; 57:e23286. [PMID: 30801883 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved Akirin nuclear proteins interact with chromatin remodeling complexes at gene enhancers and promoters, and have been reported to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Of the two mouse Akirin genes, Akirin2 is essential during embryonic development, with known in vivo roles in immune system function and the formation of the cerebral cortex. Here we demonstrate that Akirin2 is critical for mouse myogenesis, a tightly regulated developmental process through which myoblast precursors fuse to form mature skeletal muscle fibers. Loss of Akirin2 in somitic muscle precursor cells via Sim1-Cre-mediated excision of a conditional Akirin2 allele results in neonatal lethality. Mutant embryos exhibit a complete lack of forelimb, intercostal, and diaphragm muscles due to extensive apoptosis and loss of Pax3-positive myoblasts. Severe skeletal defects, including craniofacial abnormalities, disrupted ossification, and rib fusions are also observed, attributable to lack of skeletal muscles as well as patchy Sim1-Cre activity in the embryonic sclerotome. We further show that Akirin2 levels are tightly regulated during muscle cell differentiation in vitro, and that Akirin2 is required for the proper expression of muscle differentiation factors myogenin and myosin heavy chain. Our results implicate Akirin2 as a major regulator of mammalian muscle formation in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Bosch
- Department of Biology and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Leah C Fuller
- Department of Biology and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Joshua A Weiner
- Department of Biology and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Yakushiji-Kaminatsui N, Lopez-Delisle L, Bolt CC, Andrey G, Beccari L, Duboule D. Similarities and differences in the regulation of HoxD genes during chick and mouse limb development. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e3000004. [PMID: 30475793 PMCID: PMC6283595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In all tetrapods examined thus far, the development and patterning of limbs require the activation of gene members of the HoxD cluster. In mammals, they are regulated by a complex bimodal process that controls first the proximal patterning and then the distal structure. During the shift from the former to the latter regulation, this bimodal regulatory mechanism allows the production of a domain with low Hoxd gene expression, at which both telomeric (T-DOM) and centromeric regulatory domains (C-DOM) are silent. These cells generate the future wrist and ankle articulations. We analyzed the implementation of this regulatory mechanism in chicken, i.e., in an animal for which large morphological differences exist between fore- and hindlimbs. We report that although this bimodal regulation is globally conserved between the mouse and the chick, some important modifications evolved at least between these two model systems, in particular regarding the activity of specific enhancers, the width of the TAD boundary separating the two regulations, and the comparison between the forelimb versus hindlimb regulatory controls. At least one aspect of these regulations seems to be more conserved between chick and bats than with mouse, which may relate to the extent to which forelimbs and hindlimbs of these various animals differ in their morphologies. A comparison of Hox gene regulation during the development of limbs in birds and mammals reveals that whereas the characteristic bimodal regulatory system, based on large chromatin domains, is largely conserved between these morphologically distinct structures, some differences are revealed in the way this is implemented in various vertebrates. The shapes of limbs vary greatly among tetrapod species, even between the forelimbs and hindlimbs of the same animal. Hox genes regulate the proper growth and patterning of tetrapod limbs. In order to evaluate whether variations in the complex regulation of a cluster of Hox genes—the Hoxd genes—during limb development contribute to the differences in limb shape, we compared their transcriptional control during limb bud development in the forelimbs and hindlimbs of mouse and chicken embryos. We found that the regulatory mechanism underlying Hoxd gene expression is highly conserved, but some clear differences exist. For instance, we observed a variation in the topologically associating domain (TAD; a self-interacting genomic region) boundary interval between the mouse and the chick, as well as differences in the activity of a conserved enhancer element situated within the telomeric regulatory domain. In contrast to the mouse, the chicken enhancer has a stronger activity in the forelimb buds than in the hindlimb buds, which is correlated with the striking differences in the mRNA levels of the genes. We conclude that differences in both the timing and duration of TAD activities and in the width of their boundary may parallel the important decrease in Hoxd gene transcription in chick hindlimb buds versus forelimb buds. These differences may also account for the slightly distinct regulatory strategies implemented by mammals and birds at this locus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Chase Bolt
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guillaume Andrey
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
An actin-based nucleoskeleton involved in gene regulation and genome organization. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 506:378-386. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.11.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
24
|
Bosch PJ, Fuller LC, Weiner JA. An essential role for the nuclear protein Akirin2 in mouse limb interdigital tissue regression. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12240. [PMID: 30116001 PMCID: PMC6095873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30801-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of interdigital tissue regression requires the interplay of multiple spatiotemporally-controlled morphogen gradients to ensure proper limb formation and release of individual digits. Disruption to this process can lead to a number of limb abnormalities, including syndactyly. Akirins are highly conserved nuclear proteins that are known to interact with chromatin remodelling machinery at gene enhancers. In mammals, the analogue Akirin2 is essential for embryonic development and critical for a wide variety of roles in immune function, meiosis, myogenesis and brain development. Here we report a critical role for Akirin2 in the regulation of interdigital tissue regression in the mouse limb. Knockout of Akirin2 in limb epithelium leads to a loss of interdigital cell death and an increase in cell proliferation, resulting in retention of the interdigital web and soft-tissue syndactyly. This is associated with perdurance of Fgf8 expression in the ectoderm overlying the interdigital space. Our study supports a mechanism whereby Akirin2 is required for the downregulation of Fgf8 from the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) during limb development, and implies its requirement in signalling between interdigital mesenchymal cells and the AER.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Bosch
- Department of Biology and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Leah C Fuller
- Department of Biology and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Joshua A Weiner
- Department of Biology and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Morgani SM, Saiz N, Garg V, Raina D, Simon CS, Kang M, Arias AM, Nichols J, Schröter C, Hadjantonakis AK. A Sprouty4 reporter to monitor FGF/ERK signaling activity in ESCs and mice. Dev Biol 2018; 441:104-126. [PMID: 29964027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The FGF/ERK signaling pathway is highly conserved throughout evolution and plays fundamental roles during embryonic development and in adult organisms. While a plethora of expression data exists for ligands, receptors and pathway regulators, we know little about the spatial organization or dynamics of signaling in individual cells within populations. To this end we developed a transcriptional readout of FGF/ERK activity by targeting a histone H2B-linked Venus fluorophore to the endogenous locus of Spry4, an early pathway target, and generated Spry4H2B-Venus embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and a derivative mouse line. The Spry4H2B-Venus reporter was heterogeneously expressed within ESC cultures and responded to FGF/ERK signaling manipulation. In vivo, the Spry4H2B-Venus reporter recapitulated the expression pattern of Spry4 and localized to sites of known FGF/ERK activity including the inner cell mass of the pre-implantation embryo and the limb buds, somites and isthmus of the post-implantation embryo. Additionally, we observed highly localized reporter expression within adult organs. Genetic and chemical disruption of FGF/ERK signaling, in vivo in pre- and post-implantation embryos, abrogated Venus expression establishing the reporter as an accurate signaling readout. This tool will provide new insights into the dynamics of the FGF/ERK signaling pathway during mammalian development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Morgani
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Centre for Stem Cell Research, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Nestor Saiz
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Vidur Garg
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dhruv Raina
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Claire S Simon
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Minjung Kang
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Centre for Stem Cell Research, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Christian Schröter
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Gilsanz V, Wren TAL, Ponrartana S, Mora S, Rosen CJ. Sexual Dimorphism and the Origins of Human Spinal Health. Endocr Rev 2018; 39:221-239. [PMID: 29385433 PMCID: PMC5888211 DOI: 10.1210/er.2017-00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent observations indicate that the cross-sectional area (CSA) of vertebral bodies is on average 10% smaller in healthy newborn girls than in newborn boys, a striking difference that increases during infancy and puberty and is greatest by the time of sexual and skeletal maturity. The smaller CSA of female vertebrae is associated with greater spinal flexibility and could represent the human adaptation to fetal load in bipedal posture. Unfortunately, it also imparts a mechanical disadvantage that increases stress within the vertebrae for all physical activities. This review summarizes the potential endocrine, genetic, and environmental determinants of vertebral cross-sectional growth and current knowledge of the association between the small female vertebrae and greater risk for a broad array of spinal conditions across the lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Gilsanz
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027.,Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027
| | - Tishya A L Wren
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027
| | - Skorn Ponrartana
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027
| | - Stefano Mora
- Laboratory of Pediatric Endocrinology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Clifford J Rosen
- Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, Maine 04074
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Towers M. Evolution of antero-posterior patterning of the limb: Insights from the chick. Genesis 2018; 56:e23047. [PMID: 28734068 PMCID: PMC5811799 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The developing limbs of chicken embryos have served as pioneering models for understanding pattern formation for over a century. The ease with which chick wing and leg buds can be experimentally manipulated, while the embryo is still in the egg, has resulted in the discovery of important developmental organisers, and subsequently, the signals that they produce. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is produced by mesenchyme cells of the polarizing region at the posterior margin of the limb bud and specifies positional values across the antero-posterior axis (the axis running from the thumb to the little finger). Detailed experimental embryology has revealed the fundamental parameters required to specify antero-posterior positional values in response to Shh signaling in chick wing and leg buds. In this review, the evolution of the avian wing and leg will be discussed in the broad context of tetrapod paleontology, and more specifically, ancestral theropod dinosaur paleontology. How the parameters that dictate antero-posterior patterning could have been modulated to produce the avian wing and leg digit patterns will be considered. Finally, broader speculations will be made regarding what the antero-posterior patterning of chick limbs can tell us about the evolution of other digit patterns, including those that were found in the limbs of the earliest tetrapods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Towers
- Department of Biomedical ScienceThe Bateson Centre, University of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Tickle C, Towers M. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Limb Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2017; 5:14. [PMID: 28293554 PMCID: PMC5328949 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2017.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The gene encoding the secreted protein Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is expressed in the polarizing region (or zone of polarizing activity), a small group of mesenchyme cells at the posterior margin of the vertebrate limb bud. Detailed analyses have revealed that Shh has the properties of the long sought after polarizing region morphogen that specifies positional values across the antero-posterior axis (e.g., thumb to little finger axis) of the limb. Shh has also been shown to control the width of the limb bud by stimulating mesenchyme cell proliferation and by regulating the antero-posterior length of the apical ectodermal ridge, the signaling region required for limb bud outgrowth and the laying down of structures along the proximo-distal axis (e.g., shoulder to digits axis) of the limb. It has been shown that Shh signaling can specify antero-posterior positional values in limb buds in both a concentration- (paracrine) and time-dependent (autocrine) fashion. Currently there are several models for how Shh specifies positional values over time in the limb buds of chick and mouse embryos and how this is integrated with growth. Extensive work has elucidated downstream transcriptional targets of Shh signaling. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how antero-posterior positional values are encoded and then interpreted to give the particular structure appropriate to that position, for example, the type of digit. A distant cis-regulatory enhancer controls limb-bud-specific expression of Shh and the discovery of increasing numbers of interacting transcription factors indicate complex spatiotemporal regulation. Altered Shh signaling is implicated in clinical conditions with congenital limb defects and in the evolution of the morphological diversity of vertebrate limbs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryll Tickle
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of BathBath, UK,*Correspondence: Cheryll Tickle
| | - Matthew Towers
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, UK,Matthew Towers
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mariani FV, Fernandez-Teran M, Ros MA. Ectoderm-mesoderm crosstalk in the embryonic limb: The role of fibroblast growth factor signaling. Dev Dyn 2017; 246:208-216. [PMID: 28002626 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In this commentary we focus on the function of FGFs during limb development and morphogenesis. Our goal is to understand, interpret and, when possible, reconcile the interesting findings and conflicting results that remain unexplained. For example, the cell death pattern observed after surgical removal of the AER versus genetic removal of the AER-Fgfs is strikingly different and the field is at an impasse with regard to an explanation. We also discuss the idea that AER function may involve signaling components in addition to the AER-FGFs and that signaling from the non-AER ectoderm may also have a significant contribution. We hope that a re-evaluation of current studies and a discussion of outstanding questions will motivate new experiments, especially considering the availability of new technologies, that will fuel further progress toward understanding the intricate ectoderm-to-mesoderm crosstalk during limb development. Developmental Dynamics 246:208-216, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca V Mariani
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Marian Fernandez-Teran
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Maria A Ros
- Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain.,Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, CSIC-SODERCAN-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Spatiotemporal distribution of proliferation, proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors in the early human limb development. Acta Histochem 2016; 118:527-36. [PMID: 27282649 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Involvement of proliferation and apoptosis in the human limb development was analyzed electronmicroscopically and immunohistochemically in histological sections of 8 human embryos, 4(th) -10(th) week old, using apoptotic (caspase-3, AIF, BAX), anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) and proliferation (Ki-67) markers, and TUNEL method. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's post hoc test. Initially, developing human limbs consisted of mesenchymal core and surface ectoderm with apical ectodermal ridge (AER). During progression of development, strong proliferation activity gradually decreased in the mesenchyme (from 78% to 68%) and in the epithelium (from 62% to 42%), while in the differentiating finger cartilages proliferation was constantly low (26-7%). Apoptotic caspase-3 and AIF-positive cells characterized mesenchyme and AER at earliest stages, while during digit separation they appeared in interdigital mesenchyme as well. Strong Bcl-2 expression was observed in AER, subridge mesenchyme and phalanges, while BAX expression charaterized limb areas undergoing apoptosis. Ultrastructurally, proliferating cells showed mitotic figures, while apoptotic cells were characterized by nuclear fragmentation. Macrophages were observed around the apoptotic cells. We suggest that intense proliferation enables growth and elongation of human limb primordia, and differential growth of digits. Both caspase-3 and AIF-dependant pathways of cell death control the extent of AER and numer of cells in the subridge mesenchyme at earliest developmental stages, as well as process of digit separation at later stages of limb development. Spatio-temporal co-expresson of Bcl-2 and BAX indicates their role in suppression of apoptosis and selective stimulation of growth during human limb morphogenesis.
Collapse
|
31
|
Dowling A, Doroba C, Maier JA, Cohen L, VandeBerg J, Sears KE. Cellular and molecular drivers of differential organ growth: insights from the limbs of Monodelphis domestica. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 226:235-43. [PMID: 27194412 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0549-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
32
|
Seki R, Kitajima K, Matsubara H, Suzuki T, Saito D, Yokoyama H, Tamura K. AP-2β is a transcriptional regulator for determination of digit length in tetrapods. Dev Biol 2015; 407:75-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
33
|
Nödl MT, Fossati SM, Domingues P, Sánchez FJ, Zullo L. The making of an octopus arm. EvoDevo 2015; 6:19. [PMID: 26052417 PMCID: PMC4458049 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-015-0012-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most of our current findings on appendage formation and patterning stem from studies on chordate and ecdysozoan model organisms. However, in order to fully understand the evolution of animal appendages, it is essential to include information on appendage development from lophotrochozoan representatives. Here, we examined the basic dynamics of the Octopus vulgaris arm's formation and differentiation - as a highly evolved member of the lophotrochozoan super phylum - with a special focus on the formation of the arm's musculature. RESULTS The octopus arm forms during distinct phases, including an early outgrowth from an epithelial thickening, an elongation, and a late differentiation into mature tissue types. During early arm outgrowth, uniform proliferation leads to the formation of a rounded bulge, which subsequently elongates along its proximal-distal axis by means of actin-mediated epithelial cell changes. Further differentiation of all tissue layers is initiated but end-differentiation is postponed to post-hatching stages. Interestingly, muscle differentiation shows temporal differences in the formation of distinct muscle layers. Particularly, first myocytes appear in the area of the future transverse prior to the longitudinal muscle layer, even though the latter represents the more dominant muscle type at hatching stage. Sucker rudiments appear as small epithelial outgrowths with a mesodermal and ectodermal component on the oral part of the arm. During late differentiation stages, cell proliferation becomes localized to a distal arm region termed the growth zone of the arm. CONCLUSIONS O. vulgaris arm formation shows both, similarities to known model species as well as species-specific patterns of arm formation. Similarities include early uniform cell proliferation and actin-mediated cell dynamics, which lead to an elongation along the proximal-distal axis. Furthermore, the switch to an adult-like progressive distal growth mode during late differentiation stages is reminiscent of the vertebrate progress zone. However, tissue differentiation shows a species-specific delay, which is correlated to a paralarval pelagic phase after hatching and concomitant emerging behavioral modifications. By understanding the general dynamics of octopus arm formation, we established a basis for further studies on appendage patterning, growth, and differentiation in a representative of the lophotrochozoan super phylum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Therese Nödl
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara M Fossati
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Pedro Domingues
- Centro Oceanografico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografia, Subida Radio Faro, 50 36390 Vigo, Spain
| | - Francisco J Sánchez
- Centro Oceanografico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografia, Subida Radio Faro, 50 36390 Vigo, Spain
| | - Letizia Zullo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Eshkar-Oren I, Krief S, Ferrara N, Elliott AM, Zelzer E. Vascular patterning regulates interdigital cell death by a ROS-mediated mechanism. Development 2015; 142:672-80. [PMID: 25617432 DOI: 10.1242/dev.120279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Blood vessels serve as key regulators of organogenesis by providing oxygen, nutrients and molecular signals. During limb development, programmed cell death (PCD) contributes to separation of the digits. Interestingly, prior to the onset of PCD, the autopod vasculature undergoes extensive patterning that results in high interdigital vascularity. Here, we show that in mice, the limb vasculature positively regulates interdigital PCD. In vivo, reduction in interdigital vessel number inhibited PCD, resulting in syndactyly, whereas an increment in vessel number and distribution resulted in elevation and expansion of PCD. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), toxic compounds that have been implicated in PCD, also depended on interdigital vascular patterning. Finally, ex vivo incubation of limbs in gradually decreasing oxygen levels led to a correlated reduction in both ROS production and interdigital PCD. The results support a role for oxygen in these processes and provide a mechanistic explanation for the counterintuitive positive role of the vasculature in PCD. In conclusion, we suggest a new role for vascular patterning during limb development in regulating interdigital PCD by ROS production. More broadly, we propose a double safety mechanism that restricts PCD to interdigital areas, as the genetic program of PCD provides the first layer and vascular patterning serves as the second.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Idit Eshkar-Oren
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Sharon Krief
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | | | - Alison M Elliott
- Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health and Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Elazar Zelzer
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Cooper KL, Sears KE, Uygur A, Maier J, Baczkowski KS, Brosnahan M, Antczak D, Skidmore JA, Tabin CJ. Patterning and post-patterning modes of evolutionary digit loss in mammals. Nature 2014; 511:41-5. [PMID: 24990742 PMCID: PMC4228958 DOI: 10.1038/nature13496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A reduction in the number of digits has evolved many times in tetrapods, particularly in cursorial mammals that travel over deserts and plains, yet the underlying developmental mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we show that digit loss can occur both during early limb patterning and at later post-patterning stages of chondrogenesis. In the 'odd-toed' jerboa (Dipus sagitta) and horse and the 'even-toed' camel, extensive cell death sculpts the tissue around the remaining toes. In contrast, digit loss in the pig is orchestrated by earlier limb patterning mechanisms including downregulation of Ptch1 expression but no increase in cell death. Together these data demonstrate remarkable plasticity in the mechanisms of vertebrate limb evolution and shed light on the complexity of morphological convergence, particularly within the artiodactyl lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L Cooper
- 1] Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA [2] Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA. [3]
| | - Karen E Sears
- 1] Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA [2]
| | - Aysu Uygur
- 1] Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA [2]
| | - Jennifer Maier
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | | | - Margaret Brosnahan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Doug Antczak
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | | | - Clifford J Tabin
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Molecular Control of Interdigital Cell Death and Cell Differentiation by Retinoic Acid during Digit Development. J Dev Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/jdb2020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
|
37
|
Falco A, Pennucci R, Brambilla E, de Curtis I. Reduction in parvalbumin-positive interneurons and inhibitory input in the cortex of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Exp Brain Res 2014; 232:2439-49. [PMID: 24770856 PMCID: PMC4055863 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-014-3944-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammation leads to damage of central nervous system myelin and axons. Previous studies have postulated impaired GABA transmission in MS, and recent postmortem analysis has shown that GABAergic parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneurons are decreased in the primary motor cortex (M1) of patients with MS. In this report, we present evidence for the loss of a specific population of GABAergic interneurons in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model of MS. Using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we evaluated the distribution of both PV-positive interneurons and of the inhibitory presynaptic input in the M1 of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and control mice. Our results demonstrate a specific decrease in the number of PV-positive interneurons in the M1 of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We detected a significant reduction in the number of PV-positive interneurons in the layers II and III of the M1 of diseased mice, while there was no difference in the number of calretinin (CR)-positive cells between animals with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and control animals. Moreover, we observed a significant reduction in the inhibitory presynaptic input in the M1 of treated mice. These changes were specific for the mice with elevated clinical score, while they were not detectable in the mice with low clinical score. Our results support the hypothesis that reinforcing the action of the GABAergic network may represent a therapeutic alternative to limit the progression of the neuronal damage in MS patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Falco
- Cell Adhesion Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina, 58-20132, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Salinas-Saavedra M, Gonzalez-Cabrera C, Ossa-Fuentes L, Botelho JF, Ruiz-Flores M, Vargas AO. New developmental evidence supports a homeotic frameshift of digit identity in the evolution of the bird wing. Front Zool 2014; 11:33. [PMID: 24725625 PMCID: PMC3986427 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-11-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The homology of the digits in the bird wing is a high-profile controversy in developmental and evolutionary biology. The embryonic position of the digits cartilages with respect to the primary axis (ulnare and ulna) corresponds to 2, 3, 4, but comparative-evolutionary morphology supports 1, 2, 3. A homeotic frameshift of digit identity in evolution could explain how cells in embryonic positions 2, 3, 4 began developing morphologies 1, 2, 3. Another alternative is that no re-patterning of cell fates occurred, and the primary axis shifted its position by some other mechanism. In the wing, only the anterior digit lacks expression of HoxD10 and HoxD12, resembling digit 1 of other limbs, as predicted by 1, 2, 3. However, upon loss of digit 1 in evolution, the most anterior digit 2 could have lost their expression, deceitfully resembling a digit 1. To test this notion, we observed HoxD10 and HoxD12 in a limb where digit 2 is the most anterior digit: The rabbit foot. We also explored whether early inhibition of Shh signalling in the embryonic wing bud induces an experimental homeotic frameshift, or an experimental axis shift. We tested these hypotheses using DiI injections to study the fate of cells in these experimental wings. Results We found strong transcription of HoxD10 and HoxD12 was present in the most anterior digit 2 of the rabbit foot. Thus, we found no evidence to question the use of HoxD expression as support for 1, 2, 3. When Shh signalling in early wing buds is inhibited, our fate maps demonstrate that an experimental homeotic frameshift is induced. Conclusion Along with comparative morphology, HoxD expression provides strong support for 1, 2, 3 identity of wing digits. As an explanation for the offset 2, 3, 4 embryological position, the homeotic frameshift hypothesis is consistent with known mechanisms of limb development, and further proven to be experimentally possible. In contrast, the underlying mechanisms and experimental plausibility of an axis shift remain unclear.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Salinas-Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian Gonzalez-Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis Ossa-Fuentes
- Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joao F Botelho
- Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Macarena Ruiz-Flores
- Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexander O Vargas
- Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
The thumb, or digit 1, is not a typical digit. In addition to its unusual mobility and function, its formation is also unusual. It is the last digit to form and the most commonly targeted when limb development is disrupted. The thumb domain is defined by the overlapping expression of HOXA13, TBX5, GLI3R, and HOXD13 and, importantly, by an absence of other distal HOXD transcription factors. This brief review, combining developmental biology and clinical genetics, discusses the current understanding of how the thumb domain is established.
Collapse
|
40
|
Nomura N, Yokoyama H, Tamura K. Altered developmental events in the anterior region of the chick forelimb give rise to avian-specific digit loss. Dev Dyn 2014; 243:741-52. [PMID: 24616028 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Avian forelimb (wing) contains only three digits, and the three-digit formation in the bird forelimb is one of the avian-specific limb characteristics that have been evolutionarily inherited from the common ancestral form in dinosaurs. Despite many studies on digit formation in the chick limb bud, the developmental mechanisms giving rise to the three-digit forelimb in birds have not been completely clarified. RESULTS To identify which cell populations of the early limb bud contribute to digit formation in the late limb bud, fate maps of the early fore- and hindlimb buds were prepared. Based on these fate maps, we found that the digit-forming region in the forelimb bud is narrower than that in the hindlimb bud, suggesting that some developmental mechanisms on the anterior-most region lead to a reduced number of digits in the forelimb. We also found temporal differences in the onset of appearance of the ANZ (anterior necrotic zone) as well as differences in the position of the anterior edge of the AER. CONCLUSIONS Forelimb-specific events in the anterior limb bud are possible developmental mechanisms that might generate the different cell fates in the fore- and hindlimb buds, regulating the number of digits in birds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Nomura
- Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Interdigital cell death in the embryonic limb is associated with depletion of Reelin in the extracellular matrix. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e800. [PMID: 24030152 PMCID: PMC3789180 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Interdigital cell death is a physiological regression process responsible for sculpturing the digits in the embryonic vertebrate limb. Changes in the intensity of this degenerative process account for the different patterns of interdigital webbing among vertebrate species. Here, we show that Reelin is present in the extracellular matrix of the interdigital mesoderm of chick and mouse embryos during the developmental stages of digit formation. Reelin is a large extracellular glycoprotein which has important functions in the developing nervous system, including neuronal survival; however, the significance of Reelin in other systems has received very little attention. We show that reelin expression becomes intensely downregulated in both the chick and mouse interdigits preceding the establishment of the areas of interdigital cell death. Furthermore, fibroblast growth factors, which are cell survival signals for the interdigital mesoderm, intensely upregulated reelin expression, while BMPs, which are proapototic signals, downregulate its expression in the interdigit. Gene silencing experiments of reelin gene or its intracellular effector Dab-1 confirmed the implication of Reelin signaling as a survival factor for the limb undifferentiated mesoderm. We found that Reelin activates canonical survival pathways in the limb mesoderm involving protein kinase B and focal adhesion kinase. Our findings support that Reelin plays a role in interdigital cell death, and suggests that anoikis (apoptosis secondary to loss of cell adhesion) may be involved in this process.
Collapse
|
42
|
Evidence that the limb bud ectoderm is required for survival of the underlying mesoderm. Dev Biol 2013; 381:341-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
43
|
Allen JM, McGlinn E, Hill A, Warman ML. Autopodial development is selectively impaired by misexpression of chordin-like 1 in the chick limb. Dev Biol 2013; 381:159-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Revised: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
44
|
Gao B, Yang Y. Planar cell polarity in vertebrate limb morphogenesis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2013; 23:438-44. [PMID: 23747034 PMCID: PMC3759593 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the vertebrate limb development have contributed significantly to understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying growth, patterning, and morphogenesis of a complex multicellular organism. In the limb, well-defined signaling centers interact to coordinate limb growth and patterning along the three axes. Recent analyses of live imaging and mathematical modeling have provided evidence that polarized cell behaviors governed by morphogen gradients play an important role in shaping the limb bud. Furthermore, the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway that controls uniformly polarized cell behaviors in a field of cells has emerged to be critical for directional morphogenesis in the developing limb. Directional information coded in the morphogen gradient may be interpreted by responding cells through regulating the activities of PCP components in a Wnt morphogen dose-dependent manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Gao
- National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Li X, Young NM, Tropp S, Hu D, Xu Y, Hallgrímsson B, Marcucio RS. Quantification of shape and cell polarity reveals a novel mechanism underlying malformations resulting from related FGF mutations during facial morphogenesis. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:5160-72. [PMID: 23906837 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling mutations are a frequent contributor to craniofacial malformations including midfacial anomalies and craniosynostosis. FGF signaling has been shown to control cellular mechanisms that contribute to facial morphogenesis and growth such as proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation. We hypothesized that FGF signaling not only controls the magnitude of growth during facial morphogenesis but also regulates the direction of growth via cell polarity. To test this idea, we infected migrating neural crest cells of chicken embryos with replication-competent avian sarcoma virus expressing either FgfR2(C278F), a receptor mutation found in Crouzon syndrome or the ligand Fgf8. Treated embryos exhibited craniofacial malformations resembling facial dysmorphologies in craniosynostosis syndrome. Consistent with our hypothesis, ectopic activation of FGF signaling resulted in decreased cell proliferation, increased expression of the Sprouty class of FGF signaling inhibitors, and repressed phosphorylation of ERK/MAPK. Furthermore, quantification of cell polarity in facial mesenchymal cells showed that while orientation of the Golgi body matches the direction of facial prominence outgrowth in normal cells, in FGF-treated embryos this direction is randomized, consistent with aberrant growth that we observed. Together, these data demonstrate that FGF signaling regulates cell proliferation and cell polarity and that these cell processes contribute to facial morphogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma Institute, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP), a process controlling coordinated, uniformly polarized cellular behaviors in a field of cells, has been identified to be critically required for many fundamental developmental processes. However, a global directional cue that establishes PCP in a three-dimensional tissue or organ with respect to the body axes remains elusive. In vertebrate, while Wnt-secreted signaling molecules have been implicated in regulating PCP in a β-catenin-independent manner, whether they function permissively or act as a global cue to convey directional information is not clearly defined. In addition, the underlying molecular mechanism by which Wnt signal is transduced to core PCP proteins is largely unknown. In this chapter, I review the roles of Wnt signaling in regulating PCP during vertebrate development and update our knowledge of its regulatory mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Gao
- National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Liu J, Li Q, Kuehn MR, Litingtung Y, Vokes SA, Chiang C. Sonic hedgehog signaling directly targets Hyaluronic Acid Synthase 2, an essential regulator of phalangeal joint patterning. Dev Biol 2013; 375:160-71. [PMID: 23313125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Revised: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 12/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signal, mediated by the Gli family of transcription factors, plays an essential role in the growth and patterning of the limb. Through analysis of the early limb bud transcriptome, we identified a posteriorly-enriched gene, Hyaluronic Acid Synthase 2 (Has2), which encodes a key enzyme for the synthesis of hyaluronan (HA), as a direct target of Gli transcriptional regulation during early mouse limb development. Has2 expression in the limb bud is lost in Shh null and expanded anteriorly in Gli3 mutants. We identified an ∼3kb Has2 promoter fragment that contains two strong Gli-binding consensus sequences, and mutation of either site abrogated the ability of Gli1 to activate Has2 promoter in a cell-based assay. Additionally, this promoter fragment is sufficient to direct expression of a reporter gene in the posterior limb mesenchyme. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of DNA-Gli3 protein complexes from limb buds indicated that Gli3 strongly binds to the Has2 promoter region, suggesting that Has2 is a direct transcriptional target of the Shh signaling pathway. We also showed that Has2 conditional mutant (Has2cko) hindlimbs display digit-specific patterning defects with longitudinally shifted phalangeal joints and impaired chondrogenesis. Has2cko limbs show less capacity for mesenchymal condensation with mislocalized distributions of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), aggrecan and link protein. Has2cko limb phenotype displays striking resemblance to mutants with defective chondroitin sulfation suggesting tight developmental control of HA on CSPG function. Together, our study identifies Has2 as a novel downstream target of Shh signaling required for joint patterning and chondrogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Barrow J. Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling: an important mechanism to coordinate growth and patterning in the limb. Organogenesis 2012; 7:260-6. [PMID: 22198433 DOI: 10.4161/org.7.4.19049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The limb is one of the premier models for studying how a simple embryonic anlage develops into complex three-dimensional form. One of the key issues in the limb field has been to determine how the limb becomes patterned along its proximal (shoulder/hip) to distal (digits) axis. For decades it has been known that the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) plays a crucial role in distal outgrowth and patterning of the vertebrate embryonic limb. Most studies have explored the relationship between the AER and the progressive assignment of cell fates to mesenchyme along the proximal to distal (PD) axis. Comparatively few, however, have examined the additional role of the AER to regulate distal outgrowth of the limb and how this growth may also influence pattern along the PD axis. Here, I will review key studies that explore the role of growth in limb development. In particular, I will focus on a recent flurry of papers that examine the role of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway in regulating directed growth of the limb mesenchyme. Finally, I will discuss a potential mechanism that relates the AER to the Wnt/PCP pathway and how directed growth can play a role in shaping the limb along the PD axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery Barrow
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Yano T, Abe G, Yokoyama H, Kawakami K, Tamura K. Mechanism of pectoral fin outgrowth in zebrafish development. Development 2012; 139:2916-25. [PMID: 22791899 DOI: 10.1242/dev.075572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fins and limbs, which are considered to be homologous paired vertebrate appendages, have obvious morphological differences that arise during development. One major difference in their development is that the AER (apical ectodermal ridge), which organizes fin/limb development, transitions into a different, elongated organizing structure in the fin bud, the AF (apical fold). Although the role of AER in limb development has been clarified in many studies, little is known about the role of AF in fin development. Here, we investigated AF-driven morphogenesis in the pectoral fin of zebrafish. After the AER-AF transition at ∼36 hours post-fertilization, the AF was identifiable distal to the circumferential blood vessel of the fin bud. Moreover, the AF was divisible into two regions: the proximal AF (pAF) and the distal AF (dAF). Removing the AF caused the AER and a new AF to re-form. Interestingly, repeatedly removing the AF led to excessive elongation of the fin mesenchyme, suggesting that prolonged exposure to AER signals results in elongation of mesenchyme region for endoskeleton. Removal of the dAF affected outgrowth of the pAF region, suggesting that dAF signals act on the pAF. We also found that the elongation of the AF was caused by morphological changes in ectodermal cells. Our results suggest that the timing of the AER-AF transition mediates the differences between fins and limbs, and that the acquisition of a mechanism to maintain the AER was a crucial evolutionary step in the development of tetrapod limbs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tohru Yano
- Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Rabinowitz AH, Vokes SA. Integration of the transcriptional networks regulating limb morphogenesis. Dev Biol 2012; 368:165-80. [PMID: 22683377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Revised: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The developing limb is one of the best described vertebrate systems for understanding how coordinated gene expression during embryogenesis leads to the structures present in the mature organism. This knowledge, derived from decades of research, is largely based upon gain- and loss-of-function experiments. These studies have provided limited information about how the key signaling pathways interact with each other and the downstream effectors of these pathways. We summarize our current understanding of known genetic interactions in the context of three temporally defined gene regulatory networks. These networks crystallize our current knowledge, depicting a dynamic process involving multiple feedback loops between the ectoderm and mesoderm. At the same time, they highlight the fact that many essential processes are still largely undescribed. Much of the dynamic transcriptional activity occurring during development is regulated by distal cis-regulatory elements. Modern genomic tools have provided new approaches for studying the function of cis-regulatory elements and we discuss the results of these studies in regard to understanding limb development. Ultimately, these genomic techniques will allow scientists to understand how multiple signaling pathways are integrated in space and time to drive gene expression and regulate the formation of the limb.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam H Rabinowitz
- Section of Molecular Cell & Developmental Biology, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, One University Station A4800, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|