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Loder S, Patel N, Morgani S, Sambon M, Leucht P, Levi B. Genetic models for lineage tracing in musculoskeletal development, injury, and healing. Bone 2023; 173:116777. [PMID: 37156345 PMCID: PMC10860167 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2023.116777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Musculoskeletal development and later post-natal homeostasis are highly dynamic processes, marked by rapid structural and functional changes across very short periods of time. Adult anatomy and physiology are derived from pre-existing cellular and biochemical states. Consequently, these early developmental states guide and predict the future of the system as a whole. Tools have been developed to mark, trace, and follow specific cells and their progeny either from one developmental state to the next or between circumstances of health and disease. There are now many such technologies alongside a library of molecular markers which may be utilized in conjunction to allow for precise development of unique cell 'lineages'. In this review, we first describe the development of the musculoskeletal system beginning as an embryonic germ layer and at each of the key developmental stages that follow. We then discuss these structures in the context of adult tissues during homeostasis, injury, and repair. Special focus is given in each of these sections to the key genes involved which may serve as markers of lineage or later in post-natal tissues. We then finish with a technical assessment of lineage tracing and the techniques and technologies currently used to mark cells, tissues, and structures within the musculoskeletal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn Loder
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Scaife Hall, Suite 6B, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Nicole Patel
- Center for Organogenesis and Trauma, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin Levi
- Center for Organogenesis and Trauma, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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2
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Lensch S, Herschl MH, Ludwig CH, Sinha J, Hinks MM, Mukund A, Fujimori T, Bintu L. Dynamic spreading of chromatin-mediated gene silencing and reactivation between neighboring genes in single cells. eLife 2022; 11:e75115. [PMID: 35678392 PMCID: PMC9183234 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cells genes that are in close proximity can be transcriptionally coupled: silencing or activating one gene can affect its neighbors. Understanding these dynamics is important for natural processes, such as heterochromatin spreading during development and aging, and when designing synthetic gene regulation circuits. Here, we systematically dissect this process in single cells by recruiting and releasing repressive chromatin regulators at dual-gene synthetic reporters, and measuring how fast gene silencing and reactivation spread as a function of intergenic distance and configuration of insulator elements. We find that silencing by KRAB, associated with histone methylation, spreads between two genes within hours, with a time delay that increases with distance. This fast KRAB-mediated spreading is not blocked by the classical cHS4 insulators. Silencing by histone deacetylase HDAC4 of the upstream gene can also facilitate background silencing of the downstream gene by PRC2, but with a days-long delay that does not change with distance. This slower silencing can sometimes be stopped by insulators. Gene reactivation of neighboring genes is also coupled, with strong promoters and insulators determining the order of reactivation. Our data can be described by a model of multi-gene regulation that builds upon previous knowledge of heterochromatin spreading, where both gene silencing and gene reactivation can act at a distance, allowing for coordinated dynamics via chromatin regulator recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lensch
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Michael H Herschl
- University of California, Berkeley—University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in BioengineeringBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Connor H Ludwig
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Joydeb Sinha
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Michaela M Hinks
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Adi Mukund
- Biophysics Program, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Taihei Fujimori
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Lacramioara Bintu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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3
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Viggars MR, Wen Y, Peterson CA, Jarvis JC. Automated cross-sectional analysis of trained, severely atrophied and recovering rat skeletal muscles using MyoVision 2.0. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2022; 132:593-610. [PMID: 35050795 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00491.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of myonuclei within a muscle fiber is an important factor in muscle growth, but its regulation during muscle adaptation is not well understood. We aimed to elucidate the timecourse of myonuclear dynamics during endurance training, loaded and concentric resistance training, and nerve silencing-induced disuse atrophy with subsequent recovery. We modified tibialis anterior muscle activity in free-living rats with electrical stimulation from implantable pulse generators, or with implantable osmotic pumps delivering tetrodotoxin (TTX) to silence the motor nerve without transection. We used the updated, automated software MyoVision to measure fiber type-specific responses in whole tibialis anterior cross-sections (~8000 fibers each). Seven days of continuous low frequency stimulation (CLFS) reduced muscle mass (-12%), increased slower myosin isoforms and reduced IIX/IIB fibers (-32%) and substantially increased myonuclei especially in IIX/IIB fibers (55.5%). High load resistance training (Spillover), produced greater hypertrophy (~16%) in muscle mass and fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) than low load resistance training (concentric, ~6%) and was associated with myonuclear addition in all fiber types (35-46%). TTX-induced nerve silencing resulted in progressive loss in muscle mass, fiber CSA, and myonuclei per fiber cross-section (-50.7%, -53.7%, -40.7%, respectively at 14 days). Myonuclear loss occurred in a fiber type-independent manner, but subsequent recovery during voluntary habitual activity suggested that type IIX/IIB fibers contained more new myonuclei during recovery from severe atrophy. This study demonstrates the power and accuracy provided by the updated MyoVision software and introduces new models for studying myonuclear dynamics in training, detraining, retraining, repeated disuse, and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Robert Viggars
- Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, grid.4425.7Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States.,Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Yuan Wen
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States.,Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States.,MyoAnalytics, LLC, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Charlotte A Peterson
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States.,Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
| | - Jonathan C Jarvis
- Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, grid.4425.7Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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4
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Li Y, Qin Z, Zhang F, Yang ST. Two-color fluorescent proteins reporting survivin regulation in breast cancer cells for high throughput drug screening. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 119:1004-1017. [PMID: 34914099 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Reporter gene assay is widely used for high throughput drug screening and drug action mechanism evaluation. In this study, we developed a robust dual-fluorescent reporter assay to detect drugs repressing the transcription of survivin, a cancer biomarker from the inhibitor of apoptosis family, in breast cancer cells cultured in three-dimensional (3D) microbioreactors. Survivin is overexpressed in numerous malignancies but almost silent in normal tissue cells and is considered a lead target for cancer therapy. Breast cancer MCF-7 cells were engineered to express enhanced green fluorescent protein driven by a survivin promoter and red fluorescent protein driven by a cytomegalovirus promoter as internal control to detect changes in survivin expression in cells as affected by drugs. This 3D dual-fluorescent reporter assay was validated with YM155 and doxorubicin, which were known to downregulate survivin in cancer cells, and further evaluated with two widely used anticancer compounds, cisplatin, and epigallocatechin gallate, to evaluate their effects on survivin expression. The results showed that the 3D dual-fluorescent reporter assay was robust for high throughput screening of drugs targeting survivin in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Li
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Zhen Qin
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Fengli Zhang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Shang-Tian Yang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Ballesteros A, Fitzgerald TS, Swartz KJ. Expression of a membrane-targeted fluorescent reporter disrupts auditory hair cell mechanoelectrical transduction and causes profound deafness. Hear Res 2021; 404:108212. [PMID: 33667877 PMCID: PMC8035305 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The reporter mT/mG mice expressing a membrane-targeted fluorescent protein are becoming widely used to study the auditory and vestibular system due to its versatility. Here we show that high expression levels of the fluorescent mtdTomato reporter affect the function of the sensory hair cells and the auditory performance of mT/mG transgenic mice. Auditory brainstem responses and distortion product otoacoustic emissions revealed that adult mT/mG homozygous mice are profoundly deaf, whereas heterozygous mice present high frequency loss. We explore whether this line would be useful for studying and visualizing the membrane of auditory hair cells by airyscan super-resolution confocal microscopy. Membrane localization of the reporter was observed in hair cells of the cochlea, facilitating imaging of both cell bodies and stereocilia bundles without altering cellular architecture or the expression of the integral membrane motor protein prestin. Remarkably, hair cells from mT/mG homozygous mice failed to uptake the FM1-43 dye and to locate TMC1 at the stereocilia, indicating defective mechanotransduction machinery. Our work emphasizes that precautions must be considered when working with reporter mice and highlights the potential role of the cellular membrane in maintaining functional hair cells and ensuring proper hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Ballesteros
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
| | - Tracy S Fitzgerald
- Mouse Auditory Testing Core, National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Kenton J Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
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6
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Hansen AH, Hippenmeyer S. Non-Cell-Autonomous Mechanisms in Radial Projection Neuron Migration in the Developing Cerebral Cortex. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:574382. [PMID: 33102480 PMCID: PMC7545535 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.574382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Concerted radial migration of newly born cortical projection neurons, from their birthplace to their final target lamina, is a key step in the assembly of the cerebral cortex. The cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the specific sequential steps of radial neuronal migration in vivo are however still unclear, let alone the effects and interactions with the extracellular environment. In any in vivo context, cells will always be exposed to a complex extracellular environment consisting of (1) secreted factors acting as potential signaling cues, (2) the extracellular matrix, and (3) other cells providing cell–cell interaction through receptors and/or direct physical stimuli. Most studies so far have described and focused mainly on intrinsic cell-autonomous gene functions in neuronal migration but there is accumulating evidence that non-cell-autonomous-, local-, systemic-, and/or whole tissue-wide effects substantially contribute to the regulation of radial neuronal migration. These non-cell-autonomous effects may differentially affect cortical neuron migration in distinct cellular environments. However, the cellular and molecular natures of such non-cell-autonomous mechanisms are mostly unknown. Furthermore, physical forces due to collective migration and/or community effects (i.e., interactions with surrounding cells) may play important roles in neocortical projection neuron migration. In this concise review, we first outline distinct models of non-cell-autonomous interactions of cortical projection neurons along their radial migration trajectory during development. We then summarize experimental assays and platforms that can be utilized to visualize and potentially probe non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. Lastly, we define key questions to address in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi H Hansen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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7
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Yen ST, Trimmer KA, Aboul-Fettouh N, Mullen RD, Culver JC, Dickinson ME, Behringer RR, Eisenhoffer GT. CreLite: An optogenetically controlled Cre/loxP system using red light. Dev Dyn 2020; 249:1394-1403. [PMID: 32745301 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precise manipulation of gene expression with temporal and spatial control is essential for functional analysis and determining cell lineage relationships in complex biological systems. The cyclic recombinase (Cre)-loxP system is commonly used for gene manipulation at desired times and places. However, specificity is dependent on the availability of tissue- or cell-specific regulatory elements used in combination with Cre. Here, we present CreLite, an optogenetically controlled Cre system using red light in developing zebrafish embryos. RESULTS Cre activity is disabled by splitting Cre and fusing with the Arabidopsis thaliana red light-inducible binding partners, PhyB and PIF6. Upon red light illumination, the PhyB-CreC and PIF6-CreN fusion proteins come together in the presence of the cofactor phycocyanobilin (PCB) to restore Cre activity. Red light exposure of zebrafish embryos harboring a Cre-dependent multicolor fluorescent protein reporter injected with CreLite mRNAs and PCB resulted in Cre activity as measured by the generation of multispectral cell labeling in several different tissues. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that CreLite can be used for gene manipulations in whole embryos or small groups of cells at different developmental stages, and suggests CreLite may also be useful for temporal and spatial control of gene expression in cell culture, ex vivo organ culture, and other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo-Ting Yen
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kenneth A Trimmer
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Nader Aboul-Fettouh
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel D Mullen
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - James C Culver
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Mary E Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard R Behringer
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - George T Eisenhoffer
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
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Chang YH, Yokota H, Abe K, Tasi MD, Chu SL. Automatic three-dimensional segmentation of mouse embryonic stem cell nuclei by utilising multiple channels of confocal fluorescence images. J Microsc 2020; 281:57-75. [PMID: 32720710 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Time-lapse confocal fluorescence microscopy images from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) carrying reporter genes, histone H2B-mCherry and Mvh-Venus, have been used to monitor dynamic changes in cellular/differentiation characteristics of live ESCs. Accurate cell nucleus segmentation is required to analyse the ESC dynamics and differentiation at a single cell resolution. Several methods used concavities on nucleus contours to segment overlapping cell nuclei. Our proposed method evaluates not only the concavities but also the size and shape of every 2D nucleus region to determine if any of the strait, extrusion, convexity and large diameter criteria is satisfied to segment overlapping nuclei inside the region. We then use a 3D segmentation method to reconstruct simple, convex, and reasonably sized 3D nuclei along the image stacking direction using the radius and centre of every segmented region in respective microscopy images. To avoid false concavities on nucleus boundaries, fluorescence images of the H2B-mCherry reporter are used for localisation of cell nuclei and Venus fluorescence images are used for determining the cell colony ranges. We use a series of image preprocessing procedures to remove noise outside and inside cell colonies, and in respective nuclei, and to smooth nucleus boundaries based on the colony ranges. We propose dynamic data structures to record every segmented nucleus region and solid in sets (volumes) of 3D confocal images. The experimental results show that the proposed image preprocessing method preserves the areas of mouse ESC nuclei on microscopy images and that the segmentation method effectively segment out every nucleus with a reasonable size and shape. All 3D nuclei in a set (volume) of confocal microscopy images can be accessed by the dynamic data structures for 3D reconstruction. The 3D nuclei in time-lapse confocal microscopy images can be tracked to calculate cell movement and proliferation in consecutive volumes for understanding the dynamics of the differentiation characteristics about ESCs. LAY DESCRIPTION: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are considered as an ideal source for basic cell biology study and producing medically useful cells in vitro. This study uses time-lapse confocal fluorescence microscopy images from mouse ESCs carrying reporter gene to monitor dynamic changes in cellular/differentiation characteristics of live ESCs. To automate analyses of ESC differentiation behaviours, accurate cell nucleus segmentation to distinguish respective cells are required. A series of image preprocessing procedures are implemented to remove noise in live-cell fluorescence images but yield overlapping cell nuclei. A segmentation method that evaluates boundary concavities and the size and shape of every nucleus is then used to determine if any of the strait, extrusion, convexity, large and local minimum diameter criteria satisfied to segment overlapping nuclei. We propose a dynamic data structure to record every newly segmented nucleus. The experimental results show that the proposed image preprocessing method preserves the areas of mouse ESC nuclei and that the segmentation method effectively detects overlapping nuclei. All segmented nuclei in confocal images can be accessed using the dynamic data structures to be visualised and manipulated for quantitative analyses of the ESC differentiation behaviours. The manipulation can be tracking of segmented 3D cell nuclei in time-lapse images to calculate their dynamics of differentiation characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y-H Chang
- Department of Information & Computer Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, ROC, Chung-Li, Taiwan
| | - H Yokota
- RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, Wako, Japan
| | - K Abe
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - M-D Tasi
- Department of Information & Computer Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, ROC, Chung-Li, Taiwan
| | - S-L Chu
- Department of Information & Computer Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, ROC, Chung-Li, Taiwan
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Hastings RL, Massopust RT, Haddix SG, Lee YI, Thompson WJ. Exclusive vital labeling of myonuclei for studying myonuclear arrangement in mouse skeletal muscle tissue. Skelet Muscle 2020; 10:15. [PMID: 32381068 PMCID: PMC7204059 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-020-00233-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The arrangement of myonuclei in skeletal muscle tissue has long been used as a biomarker for muscle health, but there is a dearth of in vivo exploration of potential effects of myonuclear organization on the function and regeneration of skeletal muscle because traditional nuclear stains are performed on postmortem tissue. Therefore, we sought a transgenic method to produce a selective and persistent myonuclear label in whole muscles of living mice. METHODS We bred together a mouse line with skeletal muscle fiber-selective expression of Cre recombinase and a second mouse line with a Cre-inducible fluorescently tagged histone protein to generate a mouse line that produces a myonuclear label suitable for vital imaging and histology of fixed tissue. We tested the effectiveness of this vital label in three conditions known to generate abnormal myonuclear positioning. First, we injured myofibers of young mice with cardiotoxin. Second, this nuclear label was bred into a murine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Finally, we examined old mice from this line that have undergone the natural aging process. Welch's t test was used to compare wild type and transgenic mice. RESULTS The resulting mouse line transgenically produces a vital red fluorescent label of myonuclei, which facilitates their in vivo imaging in skeletal muscle tissue. Transgenic fluorescent labeling of myonuclei has no significant effect on skeletal muscle function, as determined by twitch and tetanic force recordings. In each muscle examined, including those under damaged, dystrophic, and aged conditions, the labeled myonuclei exhibit morphology consistent with established literature, and reveal a specialized arrangement of subsynaptic myonuclei at the neuromuscular junction. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results demonstrate that this mouse line provides a versatile tool to selectively visualize myonuclei within both living and fixed preparations of healthy, injured, diseased, and aged muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Louis Hastings
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, College Station, TX, USA.
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Ryan T Massopust
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Seth G Haddix
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Young Il Lee
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Wesley J Thompson
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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10
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Hirata T, Shioi G, Abe T, Kiyonari H, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Mori K, Kawasaki T. A Novel Birthdate-Labeling Method Reveals Segregated Parallel Projections of Mitral and External Tufted Cells in the Main Olfactory System. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0234-19.2019. [PMID: 31672846 PMCID: PMC6868177 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0234-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental strategy in sensory coding is parallel processing, whereby unique, distinct features of sensation are computed and projected to the central target in the form of submodal maps. It remains unclear, however, whether such parallel processing strategy is employed in the main olfactory system, which codes the complex hierarchical odor and behavioral scenes. A potential scheme is that distinct subsets of projection neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) form parallel projections to the targets. Taking advantage of the observation that the distinct projection neurons develop at different times, we developed a Cre-loxP-based method that allows for birthdate-specific labeling of cell bodies and their axon projections in mice. This birthdate tag analysis revealed that the mitral cells (MCs) born in an early developmental stage and the external tufted cells (TCs) born a few days later form segregated parallel projections. Specifically, the latter subset converges the axons onto only two small specific targets, one of which, located at the anterolateral edge of the olfactory tubercle (OT), excludes widespread MC projections. This target is made up of neurons that express dopamine D1 but not D2 receptor and corresponds to the most anterolateral isolation of the CAP compartments (aiCAP) that were defined previously. This finding of segregated projections suggests that olfactory sensing does indeed involve parallel processing of functionally distinct submodalities. Importantly, the birthdate tag method used here may pave the way for deciphering the functional meaning of these individual projection pathways in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsumi Hirata
- Brain Function Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Go Shioi
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kensaku Mori
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takahiko Kawasaki
- Brain Function Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
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Saint-Jean L, Barkas N, Harmelink C, Tompkins KL, Oakey RJ, Baldwin HS. Myocardial differentiation is dependent upon endocardial signaling during early cardiogenesis in vitro. Development 2019; 146:dev.172619. [PMID: 31023876 DOI: 10.1242/dev.172619] [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: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The endocardium interacts with the myocardium to promote proliferation and morphogenesis during the later stages of heart development. However, the role of the endocardium in early cardiac ontogeny remains under-explored. Given the shared origin, subsequent juxtaposition, and essential cell-cell interactions of endocardial and myocardial cells throughout heart development, we hypothesized that paracrine signaling from the endocardium to the myocardium is crucial for initiating early differentiation of myocardial cells. To test this, we generated an in vitro, endocardial-specific ablation model using the diphtheria toxin receptor under the regulatory elements of the Nfat c1 genomic locus (NFATc1-DTR). Early treatment of NFATc1-DTR mouse embryoid bodies with diphtheria toxin efficiently ablated endocardial cells, which significantly attenuated the percentage of beating EBs in culture and expression of early and late myocardial differentiation markers. The addition of Bmp2 during endocardial ablation partially rescued myocyte differentiation, maturation and function. Therefore, we conclude that early stages of myocardial differentiation rely on endocardial paracrine signaling mediated in part by Bmp2. Our findings provide novel insight into early endocardial-myocardial interactions that can be explored to promote early myocardial development and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leshana Saint-Jean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Nikolaos Barkas
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Cristina Harmelink
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kevin L Tompkins
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rebecca J Oakey
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - H Scott Baldwin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA .,Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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12
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Kiyonari H, Kaneko M, Abe T, Shioi G, Aizawa S, Furuta Y, Fujimori T. Dynamic organelle localization and cytoskeletal reorganization during preimplantation mouse embryo development revealed by live imaging of genetically encoded fluorescent fusion proteins. Genesis 2019; 57:e23277. [PMID: 30597711 PMCID: PMC6590263 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Live imaging is one of the most powerful technologies for studying the behaviors of cells and molecules in living embryos. Previously, we established a series of reporter mouse lines in which specific organelles are labeled with various fluorescent proteins. In this study, we examined the localizations of fluorescent signals during preimplantation development of these mouse lines, as well as a newly established one, by time‐lapse imaging. Each organelle was specifically marked with fluorescent fusion proteins; fluorescent signals were clearly visible during the whole period of time‐lapse observation, and the expression of the reporters did not affect embryonic development. We found that some organelles dramatically change their sub‐cellular distributions during preimplantation stages. In addition, by crossing mouse lines carrying reporters of two distinct colors, we could simultaneously visualize two types of organelles. These results confirm that our reporter mouse lines can be valuable genetic tools for live imaging of embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan.,Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Mari Kaneko
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan.,Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan.,Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Go Shioi
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shinichi Aizawa
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yasuhide Furuta
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan.,Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Fujimori
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan.,Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Okazaki, Japan
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13
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Li S, Chen L, Peng X, Wang C, Qin B, Tan D, Han C, Yang H, Ren X, Liu F, Xu C, Zhou X. Overview of the reporter genes and reporter mouse models. Animal Model Exp Med 2018; 1:29-35. [PMID: 30891544 PMCID: PMC6357428 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reporter genes are widely applied in biotechnology and biomedical research owning to their easy observation and lack of toxicity. Taking advantage of the reporter genes in conjunction with imaging technologies, a large number of reporter mouse models have been generated. Reporter mouse models provide systems that enable the studies of live cell imaging, cell lineage tracing, immunological research and cancers etc. in vivo. In this review, we describe the types of different reporter genes and reporter mouse models including, random reporter strains, Cre reporter strains and ROSA26 reporter strains. Collectively, these reporter mouse models have broadened scientific inquires and provided potential strategies for generation of novel reporter animal models with enhanced capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Li‐xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiu‐hua Peng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Chao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Bo‐yin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Dan Tan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Cheng‐xiao Han
- School of Agriculture and BiologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Hua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiao‐nan Ren
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Fang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Chun‐hua Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiao‐hui Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular VirologyShanghai Public Health Clinical CenterMinistry of Education and HealthFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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14
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Abstract
In vitro tests of cancer cell invasion are the "first line" tools of preclinical researchers for screening the multitude of chemical compounds or cell perturbations that may aid in halting or treating cancer malignancy. In order to have predictive value or to contribute to designing personalized treatment regimes, these tests need to take into account the cancer cell environment and measure effects on invasion in sufficient detail. The in vitro invasion assays presented here are a trade-off between feasibility in a multisample format and mimicking the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. They allow testing multiple samples and conditions in parallel using 3D-matrix-embedded cells and deal with the heterogeneous behavior of an invading cell population in time. We describe the steps to take, the technical problems to tackle and useful software tools for the entire workflow: from the experimental setup to the quantification of the invasive capacity of the cells. The protocol is intended to guide researchers to standardize experimental set-ups and to annotate their invasion experiments in sufficient detail. In addition, it provides options for image processing and a solution for storage, visualization, quantitative analysis, and multisample comparison of acquired cell invasion data.
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15
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Kumagai H, Matsuura T, Kato Y, Watanabe H. Development of a bicistronic expression system in the branchiopod crustacean Daphnia magna. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 29086479 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The viral 2A peptides have recently been used for bicistronic expression in various organisms. In this system, a single mRNA that codes for two proteins flanking the 2A peptide can be translated simultaneously into each protein by ribosomal skipping at this peptide sequence. Here, we tested the function of the Thosea asigna insect virus 2A (T2A) peptide in the branchiopod crustacean Daphnia magna-an emerging model of evolutionary developmental biology. First, we used transgenic Daphnia that expresses a potential bicistronic RNA containing mCherry and histone H2B- green fluorescent protein (GFP) open reading frames upstream and downstream of the T2A sequence, respectively. Microscopic observation revealed difference of localization of the two proteins in the cell, homogenous distribution of mCherry and nuclear localization of H2B-GFP. Second, we changed localization of mCherry from cytoplasm to plasma membrane by attachment of a consensus myristoylation motif in the bicistronic reporter. RNA that codes for this new bicistronic reporter was injected into eggs. At gastrulation stage, we found spectrally distinct fluorescence with enough intensity and resolution to detect membrane localized mCherry and nuclear GFP. These results indicate that the T2A peptide functions in D. magna and T2A-mediated bicistronic expression would be a promising tool for evo-devo studies of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Kumagai
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Matsuura
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Kato
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Frontier Research Base for Global Young Researchers, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hajime Watanabe
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Molotkov A, Mazot P, Brewer JR, Cinalli RM, Soriano P. Distinct Requirements for FGFR1 and FGFR2 in Primitive Endoderm Development and Exit from Pluripotency. Dev Cell 2017; 41:511-526.e4. [PMID: 28552557 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the FGF signaling pathway during preimplantation development of the mouse embryo is known to be essential for differentiation of the inner cell mass and the formation of the primitive endoderm (PrE). We now show using fluorescent reporter knockin lines that Fgfr1 is expressed in all cell populations of the blastocyst, while Fgfr2 expression becomes restricted to extraembryonic lineages, including the PrE. We further show that loss of both receptors prevents the development of the PrE and demonstrate that FGFR1 plays a more prominent role in this process than FGFR2. Finally, we document an essential role for FGFRs in embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation, with FGFR1 again having a greater influence than FGFR2 in ESC exit from the pluripotent state. Collectively, these results identify mechanisms through which FGF signaling regulates inner cell mass lineage restriction and cell commitment during preimplantation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Molotkov
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Pierre Mazot
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - J Richard Brewer
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ryan M Cinalli
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Philippe Soriano
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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17
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Mori T, Murasawa Y, Ikai R, Hayakawa T, Nakamura H, Ogiso N, Niida S, Watanabe K. Generation of a transgenic mouse line for conditional expression of human IL-6. Exp Anim 2016; 65:455-463. [PMID: 27349442 PMCID: PMC5111849 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.16-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
IL-6 is a cytokine that is involved in various physiological and pathological conditions,
and approaches using gain-of-function transgenic animals have contributed in elucidating
IL-6 function. However, studies of the multiple functions of IL-6 in vivo
are very time consuming because they require the generation of transgenic mice that harbor
the gene encoding IL-6 under the control of specific promoters to mimic different
pathologies. Here, we report the establishment of a conditional human IL-6 transgenic
mouse, LGL-IL6, which conditionally expresses human IL-6 by taking advantage of the
well-characterized Cre recombinase drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiki Mori
- Medical Genome Center, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG), Obu, Aichi 474-8511, Japan
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18
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Gonzalez G, Mehra S, Wang Y, Akiyama H, Behringer RR. Sox9 overexpression in uterine epithelia induces endometrial gland hyperplasia. Differentiation 2016; 92:204-215. [PMID: 27262401 PMCID: PMC5133190 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
SOX9 is a high mobility group transcription factor that is required in many biological processes, including cartilage differentiation, endoderm progenitor maintenance, hair differentiation, and testis determination. SOX9 has also been linked to colorectal, prostate, and lung cancer. We found that SOX9 is expressed in the epithelium of the adult mouse and human uterus, predominantly marking the uterine glands. To determine if SOX9 plays a role in the development of endometrial cancer we overexpressed Sox9 in the uterine epithelium using a progesterone receptor-Cre mouse model. Sox9 overexpression in the uterine epithelium led to the formation of simple and complex cystic glandular structures in the endometrium of aged-females. Histological analysis revealed that these structures appeared morphologically similar to structures present in patients with endometrial hyperplastic lesions and endometrial polyps that are thought to be precursors of endometrial cancer. The molecular mechanisms that cause the glandular epithelium to become hyperplastic, leading to endometrial cancer are still poorly understood. These findings indicate that chronic overexpression of Sox9 in the uterine epithelium can induce the development of endometrial hyperplastic lesions. Thus, SOX9 expression may be a factor in the formation of endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Gonzalez
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shyamin Mehra
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Haruhiko Akiyama
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gifu University, Gifu City 501-1194, Japan
| | - Richard R Behringer
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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19
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Shi D, Usami F, Komatsu K, Oka S, Abe T, Uemura T, Fujimori T. Dynamics of planar cell polarity protein Vangl2 in the mouse oviduct epithelium. Mech Dev 2016; 141:78-89. [PMID: 27155041 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway regulates morphogenesis in various organs. The polarized localization is a key feature of core PCP factors for orchestrating cell polarity in an epithelial sheet. Several studies using Drosophila melanogaster have investigated the mechanism of the polarized localization. However, to what extent these mechanisms are conserved and how the polarization of core PCP factors is maintained in mature vertebrates are still open questions. Here, we addressed these questions by analyzing the dynamics of Vangl2, a member of core PCP factors, in the mouse oviduct epithelium. Multiple core PCP factors including Vangl2 were expressed in the mouse oviduct in postnatal stages. Vangl1, Vangl2 and Frizzled6 had polarized localization in the oviduct epithelium. Exogenously introduced expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged core PCP factors by electroporation revealed that Vangl1, Vangl2 and Prickle2 are localized on the ovarian side of the cell periphery in the oviduct. To visualize the Vangl2 dynamics, we generated the R26-Vangl2-EGFP transgenic mice. In these mice, Vangl2-EGFP was ubiquitously expressed and showed polarized localization in multiple organs including the oviduct, the trachea, the lateral ventricle and the uterus. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis in the mature oviduct revealed that Vangl2 in the enriched subdomain of cell periphery (cellular edge) was more stable than Vangl2 in the less-enriched cellular edge. Furthermore, when a subregion of a Vangl2-enriched cellular edge was bleached, the Vangl2-enriched subregion neighboring the bleached region in the same cellular edge tended to decrease more intensities than the neighboring sub-region in the next Vangl2-enriched cellular edge. Finally, the polarization of Vangl2 was observed in nocodazole treated mouse viduct, suggesting the maintenance of Vangl2 asymmetry is independent of microtubule formation. Taken together, we revealed the characteristics of Vangl2 dynamics in the oviduct epithelium, and found that Vangl2 forms stable complex at the enriched cellular edge and forms compartments. Our data collectively suggest that the mechanism for maintenance of Vangl2 asymmetry in mature mouse oviduct is different from the microtubule dependent polarized transport model, which has been proposed for the reinforcement of the asymmetry of two core PCP proteins, Flamingo and Dishevelled, in the developing fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongbo Shi
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Fumiko Usami
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Japan
| | - Kouji Komatsu
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Sanae Oka
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Genetic Engineering Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi,Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Tadashi Uemura
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Fujimori
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Japan; Genetic Engineering Team, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi,Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
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20
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Samadder P, Weng N, Doetschman T, Heimark RL, Galbraith DW. Flow cytometry and single nucleus sorting for Cre-based analysis of changes in transcriptional states. Cytometry A 2016; 89:430-42. [PMID: 27003621 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.22847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The organs of eukaryotic organisms comprise complex interspersions of cell types, whose different molecular activities, and corresponding cellular states, cooperate during development to produce the final, functional organ. Dysfunction of organs in disease, particularly oncogenesis, initiates with changes of state of a minor subset of cells. It therefore is hard to detect early molecular indicators of disease within an overwhelming background of normal cells. Flow cytometry and sorting provides a convenient way to purify minority subpopulations, if a specific fluorophore can be unambiguously and exclusively associated with this subpopulation. We have generated a number of transgenic mouse lines expressing a nuclear-localized version of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), within which the production of a chimeric histone 2B-GFP protein occurs under the control of a constitutively-active, actin-derived promoter, separated by a Floxed-STOP sequence. In the presence of Cre recombinase, within F1 progeny of these mouse lines, excision of the STOP sequence activates transcription which results in the emergence of cells containing green fluorescent nuclei. We describe the characterization of these lines using a combination of microscopic imaging, flow cytometry and sorting, and Reverse-Transcription polymerase chain reaction of transcripts within single sorted nuclei isolated from tissue homogenates. These lines should be particularly useful for analysis of transcriptional changes in oncogenesis. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ning Weng
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Thomas Doetschman
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Ronald L Heimark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona
- Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - David W Galbraith
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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21
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Hoshino H, Shioi G, Aizawa S. AVE protein expression and visceral endoderm cell behavior during anterior-posterior axis formation in mouse embryos: Asymmetry in OTX2 and DKK1 expression. Dev Biol 2015; 402:175-91. [PMID: 25910836 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The initial landmark of anterior-posterior (A-P) axis formation in mouse embryos is the distal visceral endoderm, DVE, which expresses a series of anterior genes at embryonic day 5.5 (E5.5). Subsequently, DVE cells move to the future anterior region, generating anterior visceral endoderm (AVE). Questions remain regarding how the DVE is formed and how the direction of the movement is determined. This study compares the detailed expression patterns of OTX2, HHEX, CER1, LEFTY1 and DKK1 by immunohistology and live imaging at E4.5-E6.5. At E6.5, the AVE is subdivided into four domains: most anterior (OTX2, HHEX, CER1-low/DKK1-high), anterior (OTX2, HHEX, CER1-high/DKK1-low), main (OTX2, HHEX, CER1, LEFTY1-high) and antero-lateral and posterior (OTX2, HHEX-low). The study demonstrates how this pattern is established. AVE protein expression in the DVE occurs de novo at E5.25-E5.5. Neither HHEX, LEFTY1 nor CER1 expression is asymmetric. In contrast, OTX2 expression is tilted on the future posterior side with the DKK1 expression at its proximal domain; the DVE cells move in the opposite direction of the tilt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideharu Hoshino
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
| | - Go Shioi
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
| | - Shinichi Aizawa
- Laboratory for Vertebrate Body Plan, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan; Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), RIKEN Kobe, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
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22
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Zielke N, Edgar BA. FUCCI sensors: powerful new tools for analysis of cell proliferation. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:469-87. [PMID: 25827130 PMCID: PMC6681141 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Visualizing the cell cycle behavior of individual cells within living organisms can facilitate the understanding of developmental processes such as pattern formation, morphogenesis, cell differentiation, growth, cell migration, and cell death. Fluorescence Ubiquitin Cell Cycle Indicator (FUCCI) technology offers an accurate, versatile, and universally applicable means of achieving this end. In recent years, the FUCCI system has been adapted to several model systems including flies, fish, mice, and plants, making this technology available to a wide range of researchers for studies of diverse biological problems. Moreover, a broad range of FUCCI‐expressing cell lines originating from diverse cell types have been generated, hence enabling the design of advanced studies that combine in vivo experiments and cell‐based methods such as high‐content screening. Although only a short time has passed since its introduction, the FUCCI technology has already provided fundamental insight into how cells establish quiescence and how G1 phase length impacts the balance between pluripotency and stem cell differentiation. Further discoveries using the FUCCI technology are sure to come. WIREs Dev Biol 2015, 4:469–487. doi: 10.1002/wdev.189 This article is categorized under:
Adult Stem Cells, Tissue Renewal, and Regeneration > Methods and Principles Technologies > Generating Chimeras and Lineage Analysis Technologies > Analysis of Cell, Tissue, and Animal Phenotypes
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Affiliation(s)
- N Zielke
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg (ZMBH) Allianz, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - B A Edgar
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg (ZMBH) Allianz, Heidelberg, Germany
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23
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Ray D, Pitts PB, Hogarth CA, Whitmore LS, Griswold MD, Ye P. Computer simulations of the mouse spermatogenic cycle. Biol Open 2014; 4:1-12. [PMID: 25505149 PMCID: PMC4295161 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20149068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The spermatogenic cycle describes the periodic development of germ cells in the testicular tissue. The temporal-spatial dynamics of the cycle highlight the unique, complex, and interdependent interaction between germ and somatic cells, and are the key to continual sperm production. Although understanding the spermatogenic cycle has important clinical relevance for male fertility and contraception, there are a number of experimental obstacles. For example, the lengthy process cannot be visualized through dynamic imaging, and the precise action of germ cells that leads to the emergence of testicular morphology remains uncharacterized. Here, we report an agent-based model that simulates the mouse spermatogenic cycle on a cross-section of the seminiferous tubule over a time scale of hours to years, while considering feedback regulation, mitotic and meiotic division, differentiation, apoptosis, and movement. The computer model is able to elaborate the germ cell dynamics in a time-lapse movie format, allowing us to trace individual cells as they change state and location. More importantly, the model provides mechanistic understanding of the fundamentals of male fertility, namely how testicular morphology and sperm production are achieved. By manipulating cellular behaviors either individually or collectively in silico, the model predicts causal events for the altered arrangement of germ cells upon genetic or environmental perturbations. This in silico platform can serve as an interactive tool to perform long-term simulation and to identify optimal approaches for infertility treatment and contraceptive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debjit Ray
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, PO Box 647520, Pullman, WA 99164, USA Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Philip B Pitts
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, PO Box 647520, Pullman, WA 99164, USA School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Cathryn A Hogarth
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, PO Box 647520, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Leanne S Whitmore
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, PO Box 647520, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Michael D Griswold
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, PO Box 647520, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Ping Ye
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, PO Box 647520, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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Moore R, Theveneau E, Pozzi S, Alexandre P, Richardson J, Merks A, Parsons M, Kashef J, Linker C, Mayor R. Par3 controls neural crest migration by promoting microtubule catastrophe during contact inhibition of locomotion. Development 2013; 140:4763-75. [PMID: 24173803 DOI: 10.1242/dev.098509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) is essential for morphogenesis and its failure is thought to be responsible for cancer invasion; however, the molecular bases of this phenomenon are poorly understood. Here we investigate the role of the polarity protein Par3 in CIL during migration of the neural crest, a highly migratory mesenchymal cell type. In epithelial cells, Par3 is localised to the cell-cell adhesion complex and is important in the definition of apicobasal polarity, but the localisation and function of Par3 in mesenchymal cells are not well characterised. We show in Xenopus and zebrafish that Par3 is localised to the cell-cell contact in neural crest cells and is essential for CIL. We demonstrate that the dynamics of microtubules are different in different parts of the cell, with an increase in microtubule catastrophe at the collision site during CIL. Par3 loss-of-function affects neural crest migration by reducing microtubule catastrophe at the site of cell-cell contact and abrogating CIL. Furthermore, Par3 promotes microtubule catastrophe by inhibiting the Rac-GEF Trio, as double inhibition of Par3 and Trio restores microtubule catastrophe at the cell contact and rescues CIL and neural crest migration. Our results demonstrate a novel role of Par3 during neural crest migration, which is likely to be conserved in other processes that involve CIL such as cancer invasion or cell dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Moore
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Wiese CB, Fleming N, Buehler DP, Southard-Smith EM. A Uchl1-Histone2BmCherry:GFP-gpi BAC transgene for imaging neuronal progenitors. Genesis 2013; 51:852-61. [PMID: 24123561 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Revised: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Uchl1 encodes the protein gene product 9.5 antigen (PGP9.5) that is a widely used to identify migrating neural progenitors in the PNS, mature neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as neuroendocrine cells. To facilitate analysis of developing peripheral neurons, we linked regulatory regions of Uchl1 carried within a 160kb bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) to the dual fluorescent reporter H2BmCherry:GFP-gpi. The Uchl1-H2BmCherry:GFP-gpi transgene exhibits robust expression and allows clear discrimination of individual cells and cellular processes in cranial ganglia, sympathetic chain, the enteric nervous system (ENS), and autonomic ganglia of the urogenital system. The transgene also labels subsets of cells in endocrine tissues where earlier in situ hybridization (ISH) studies have previously identified expression of this deubiquinating enzyme. The Uchl1-H2BmCherry:GFP-gpi transgene will be a powerful tool for static and live imaging, as well as isolation of viable neural progenitors to investigate processes of autonomic neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie B Wiese
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 529 Light Hall, 2215 Garland Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee
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Abe T, Fujimori T. Reporter mouse lines for fluorescence imaging. Dev Growth Differ 2013; 55:390-405. [PMID: 23621623 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The use of live imaging approaches to examine and understand the dynamic processes that take place during mouse development has become widespread. Several groups have reported their success in generating different reporter mouse lines that express a variety of fluorescent markers for imaging. However, there is currently no established database of the reporter mouse lines available for live imaging, such as the Cre transgenic lines (Cre-X-Mice). Researchers therefore often have difficulties in determining which reporter mouse line meets their research purposes. In this review, we summarize some of the reporter mouse lines that have been generated for live imaging studies, and discuss their characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
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27
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Abe T, Sakaue-Sawano A, Kiyonari H, Shioi G, Inoue KI, Horiuchi T, Nakao K, Miyawaki A, Aizawa S, Fujimori T. Visualization of cell cycle in mouse embryos with Fucci2 reporter directed by Rosa26 promoter. Development 2012; 140:237-46. [PMID: 23175634 DOI: 10.1242/dev.084111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Fucci technology makes possible the distinction between live cells in the G(1) and S/G(2)/M phases by dual-color imaging. This technology relies upon ubiquitylation-mediated proteolysis, and transgenic mice expressing Fucci provide a powerful model system with which to study the coordination of the cell cycle and development. The mice were initially generated using the CAG promoter; lines expressing the G(1) and S/G(2)/M phase probes that emitted orange (mKO2) and green (mAG) fluorescence, respectively, were separately constructed. Owing to cell type-biased strength of the CAG promoter as well as the positional effects of random transgenesis, however, we noticed some variability in Fucci expression levels. To control more reliably the expression of cell cycle probes, we used different genetic approaches to create two types of reporter mouse lines with Fucci2 and Rosa26 transcriptional machinery. Fucci2 is a recently developed Fucci derivative, which emits red (mCherry) and green (mVenus) fluorescence and provides better color contrast than Fucci. A new transgenic line, R26p-Fucci2, utilizes the Rosa26 promoter and harbors the G(1) and S/G(2)/M phase probes in a single transgene to preserve their co-inheritance. In the other R26R-Fucci2 approach, the two probes are incorporated into Rosa26 locus conditionally. The Cre-mediated loxP recombination technique thus allows researchers to design cell-type-specific Fucci2 expression. By performing time-lapse imaging experiments using R26p-Fucci2 and R26-Fucci2 in which R26R-Fucci2 had undergone germline loxP recombination, we demonstrated the great promise of these mouse reporters for studying cell cycle behavior in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), Kobe 650-0047, Japan
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Tortelote GG, Hernández-Hernández JM, Quaresma AJC, Nickerson JA, Imbalzano AN, Rivera-Pérez JA. Wnt3 function in the epiblast is required for the maintenance but not the initiation of gastrulation in mice. Dev Biol 2012; 374:164-73. [PMID: 23085236 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Revised: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The formation of the anteroposterior axis in mice requires a Wnt3-dependent symmetry-breaking event that leads to the formation of the primitive streak and gastrulation. Wnt3 is expressed sequentially in two distinct areas of the mouse embryo before the appearance of the primitive streak; first in the posterior visceral endoderm and soon after in the adjacent posterior epiblast. Hence, although an axial requirement for Wnt3 is well established, its temporal and tissue specific requirements remain an open question. Here, we report the conditional inactivation of Wnt3 in the epiblast of developing mouse embryos. Contrary to previous studies, our data shows that embryos lacking Wnt3 specifically in the epiblast are able to initiate gastrulation and advance to late primitive streak stages but fail to thrive and are resorbed by E9.5. At the molecular level, we provide evidence that Wnt3 regulates its own expression and that of other primitive streak markers via activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovane G Tortelote
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave. North S7-228, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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Chen YT, Tsai MS, Yang TL, Ku AT, Huang KH, Huang CY, Chou FJ, Fan HH, Hong JB, Yen ST, Wang WL, Lin CC, Hsu YC, Su KY, Su IC, Jang CW, Behringer RR, Favaro R, Nicolis SK, Chien CL, Lin SW, Yu IS. R26R-GR: a Cre-activable dual fluorescent protein reporter mouse. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46171. [PMID: 23049968 PMCID: PMC3458011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) and its derivatives are the most widely used molecular reporters for live cell imagining. The development of organelle-specific fusion fluorescent proteins improves the labeling resolution to a higher level. Here we generate a R26 dual fluorescent protein reporter mouse, activated by Cre-mediated DNA recombination, labeling target cells with a chromatin-specific enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) and a plasma membrane-anchored monomeric cherry fluorescent protein (mCherry). This dual labeling allows the visualization of mitotic events, cell shapes and intracellular vesicle behaviors. We expect this reporter mouse to have a wide application in developmental biology studies, transplantation experiments as well as cancer/stem cell lineage tracing.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Tzung Chen
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Shian Tsai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Lin Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Amy Tsu Ku
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ke-Han Huang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yen Huang
- The First Core Laboratory, Branch Office of Medical Research and Development, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Ju Chou
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Hsuan Fan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Bon Hong
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shuo-Ting Yen
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Le Wang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Ching Lin
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Hsu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Genomic Medicine, NTU Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Yi Su
- Division of Genomic Medicine, NTU Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Chang Su
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chuan-Wei Jang
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Genetics and Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Richard R. Behringer
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Genetics and Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Favaro
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia K. Nicolis
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Chung-Liang Chien
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Wha Lin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (S-WL); (I-SY)
| | - I-Shing Yu
- Transgenic Mouse Model Core Facility of the National Research Program for Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (S-WL); (I-SY)
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30
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Hartwich H, Satheesh SV, Nothwang HG. A pink mouse reports the switch from red to green fluorescence upon Cre-mediated recombination. BMC Res Notes 2012; 5:296. [PMID: 22697046 PMCID: PMC3434021 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeted genetic modification in the mouse becomes increasingly important in biomedical and basic science. This goal is most often achieved by use of the Cre/loxP system and numerous Cre-driver mouse lines are currently generated. Their initial characterization requires reporter mouse lines to study the in vivo spatiotemporal activity of Cre. FINDINGS Here, we report a dual fluorescence reporter mouse line, which switches expression from the red fluorescent protein mCherry to eGFP after Cre-mediated recombination. Both fluorescent proteins are expressed from the ubiquitously active and strong CAGGS promoter. Among the founders, we noticed a pink mouse line, expressing high levels of the red fluorescent protein mCherry throughout the entire body. Presence of mCherry in the living animal as well as in almost all organs was clearly visible without optical equipment. Upon Cre-activity, mCherry expression was switched to eGFP, demonstrating functionality of this reporter mouse line. CONCLUSIONS The pink mouse presented here is an attractive novel reporter line for fluorescence-based monitoring of Cre-activity. The high expression of mCherry, which is visible to the naked eye, facilitates breeding and crossing, as no genotyping is required to identify mice carrying the reporter allele. The presence of two fluorescent proteins allows in vivo monitoring of recombined and non-recombined cells. Finally, the pink mouse is an eye-catching animal model to demonstrate the power of transgenic techniques in teaching courses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Hartwich
- Department of Neurogenetics, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Somisetty V Satheesh
- Department of Neurogenetics, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Hans Gerd Nothwang
- Department of Neurogenetics, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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31
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Xenopoulos P, Nowotschin S, Hadjantonakis AK. Live imaging fluorescent proteins in early mouse embryos. Methods Enzymol 2012; 506:361-89. [PMID: 22341233 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-391856-7.00042-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mouse embryonic development comprises highly dynamic and coordinated events that drive key cell lineage specification and morphogenetic events. These processes involve cellular behaviors including proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation, each of which is regulated both spatially and temporally. Live imaging of developing embryos provides an essential tool to investigate these coordinated processes in three-dimensional space over time. For this purpose, the development and application of genetically encoded fluorescent protein (FP) reporters has accelerated over the past decade allowing for the high-resolution visualization of developmental progression. Ongoing efforts are aimed at generating improved reporters, where spectrally distinct as well as novel FPs whose optical properties can be photomodulated, are exploited for live imaging of mouse embryos. Moreover, subcellular tags in combination with using FPs allow for the visualization of multiple subcellular characteristics, such as cell position and cell morphology, in living embryos. Here, we review recent advances in the application of FPs for live imaging in the early mouse embryo, as well as some of the methods used for ex utero embryo development that facilitate on-stage time-lapse specimen visualization.
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Abstract
Pancreas oganogenesis comprises a coordinated and highly complex interplay of signaling events and transcriptional networks that guide a step-wise process of organ development from early bud specification all the way to the final mature organ state. Extensive research on pancreas development over the last few years, largely driven by a translational potential for pancreatic diseases (diabetes, pancreatic cancer, and so on), is markedly advancing our knowledge of these processes. It is a tenable goal that we will one day have a clear, complete picture of the transcriptional and signaling codes that control the entire organogenetic process, allowing us to apply this knowledge in a therapeutic context, by generating replacement cells in vitro, or perhaps one day to the whole organ in vivo. This review summarizes findings in the past 5 years that we feel are amongst the most significant in contributing to the deeper understanding of pancreas development. Rather than try to cover all aspects comprehensively, we have chosen to highlight interesting new concepts, and to discuss provocatively some of the more controversial findings or proposals. At the end of the review, we include a perspective section on how the whole pancreas differentiation process might be able to be unwound in a regulated fashion, or redirected, and suggest linkages to the possible reprogramming of other pancreatic cell-types in vivo, and to the optimization of the forward-directed-differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC), or induced pluripotential cells (iPSC), towards mature β-cells.
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33
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Miller RK, Canny SGDLT, Jang CW, Cho K, Ji H, Wagner DS, Jones EA, Habas R, McCrea PD. Pronephric tubulogenesis requires Daam1-mediated planar cell polarity signaling. J Am Soc Nephrol 2011; 22:1654-64. [PMID: 21804089 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2010101086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Canonical β-catenin-mediated Wnt signaling is essential for the induction of nephron development. Noncanonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathways contribute to processes such as cell polarization and cytoskeletal modulation in several tissues. Although PCP components likely establish the plane of polarization in kidney tubulogenesis, whether PCP effectors directly modulate the actin cytoskeleton in tubulogenesis is unknown. Here, we investigated the roles of Wnt PCP components in cytoskeletal assembly during kidney tubule morphogenesis in Xenopus laevis and zebrafish. We found that during tubulogenesis, the developing pronephric anlagen expresses Daam1 and its interacting Rho-GEF (WGEF), which compose one PCP/noncanonical Wnt pathway branch. Knockdown of Daam1 resulted in reduced expression of late pronephric epithelial markers with no apparent effect upon early markers of patterning and determination. Inhibiting various points in the Daam1 signaling pathway significantly reduced pronephric tubulogenesis. These data indicate that pronephric tubulogenesis requires the Daam1/WGEF/Rho PCP pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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34
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Griswold SL, Sajja KC, Jang CW, Behringer RR. Generation and characterization of iUBC-KikGR photoconvertible transgenic mice for live time-lapse imaging during development. Genesis 2011; 49:591-8. [PMID: 21309067 PMCID: PMC3409694 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2010] [Revised: 01/06/2011] [Accepted: 01/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A transgenic mouse line named iUBC-KikGR was generated, which expresses the photoconvertible fluorescent protein Kikume Green-Red (KikGR) under the control of the human Ubiquitin C promoter. KikGR is natively a green fluorophore, which can be converted into a red fluorophore upon exposure to UV light. KikGR is expressed broadly throughout transgenic embryos from the two-cell stage onward and in the adult. Specificity of photoconversion can range from the entire embryo to a region of an organ, to a few individual cells, depending on the needs of the experimenter. Cell movements, tissue reorganization, and migration can then be observed in real time by culturing the tissue of interest as an explant on the microscope stage. The iUBC-KikGR transgenic line represents a singular genetic reagent, which can be used for fate mapping, lineage tracing, and live visualization of cell behaviors and tissue movements in multiple organs at multiple time points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L Griswold
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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35
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Abe T, Kiyonari H, Shioi G, Inoue KI, Nakao K, Aizawa S, Fujimori T. Establishment of conditional reporter mouse lines at ROSA26 locus for live cell imaging. Genesis 2011; 49:579-90. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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36
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Shioi G, Kiyonari H, Abe T, Nakao K, Fujimori T, Jang CW, Huang CC, Akiyama H, Behringer RR, Aizawa S. A mouse reporter line to conditionally mark nuclei and cell membranes for in vivo live-imaging. Genesis 2011; 49:570-8. [PMID: 21504045 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2010] [Revised: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Live-imaging is an essential tool to visualize live cells and monitor their behaviors during development. This technology demands a variety of mouse reporter lines, each uniquely expressing a fluorescent protein. Here, we developed an R26R-RG reporter mouse line that conditionally and simultaneously expresses mCherry and EGFP in nuclei and plasma membranes, respectively, from the Rosa26 locus. The intensity and resolution of mCherry nuclear localization and EGFP membrane localization were demonstrated to be sufficient for live-imaging with embryos that express RG (mCherry and EGFP) ubiquitously and specifically in fetal Sertoli cells. The conditional R26R-RG reporter mouse line should be a useful tool for labeling nuclei and membranes simultaneously in distinct cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go Shioi
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), Kobe 650-0047, Japan
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37
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Fink D, Wohrer S, Pfeffer M, Tombe T, Ong CJ, Sorensen PHB. Ubiquitous expression of the monomeric red fluorescent protein mCherry in transgenic mice. Genesis 2010; 48:723-9. [PMID: 20853428 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2009] [Accepted: 09/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The use of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to label specific cell types and track gene expression in animal models, such as mice, has evolved to become an essential tool in biological research. Transgenic animals expressing genes of interest linked to GFP, either as a fusion protein or transcribed from an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) are widely used. Enhanced GFP (eGFP) is the most common form of GFP used for such applications. However, a red fluorescent protein (RFP) would be highly desirable for use in dual-labeling applications with GFP derived fluorescent proteins, and for deep in vivo imaging of tissues. Recently, a new generation of monomeric (m)RFPs, such as monomeric (m)Cherry, has been developed that are potentially useful experimentally. mCherry exhibits brighter fluorescence, matures more rapidly, has a higher tolerance for N-terminal fusion proteins, and is more photostable compared with its predecessor mRFP1. mRFP1 itself was the first true monomer derived from its ancestor DsRed, an obligate tetramer in vivo. Here, we report the successful generation of a transgenic mouse line expressing mCherry as a fluorescent marker, driven by the ubiquitin-C promoter. mCherry is expressed in almost all tissues analyzed including pre- and post-implantation stage embryos, and white blood cells. No expression was detected in erythrocytes and thrombocytes. Importantly, we did not encounter any changes in normal development, general physiology, or reproduction. mCherry is spectrally and genetically distinct from eGFP and, therefore, serves as an excellent red fluorescent marker alone or in combination with eGFP for labelling transgenic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Fink
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
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38
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Kumar TR. The "Glow"rious Sertoli and germ cells: mouse testis development visualized in multi-colors. Biol Reprod 2010; 84:201-4. [PMID: 20962250 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.088856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T Rajendra Kumar
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
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39
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Nel-Themaat L, Jang CW, Stewart MD, Akiyama H, Viger RS, Behringer RR. Sertoli cell behaviors in developing testis cords and postnatal seminiferous tubules of the mouse. Biol Reprod 2010; 84:342-50. [PMID: 20944081 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.086900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are the primary structural component of the fetal testis cords and postnatal seminiferous tubules. Live imaging technologies facilitate the visualization of cell morphologies and behaviors through developmental processes. A transgenic mouse line was generated using a fragment of the rat Gata4 gene to direct the expression of a dual-color fluorescent protein reporter in fetal and adult Sertoli cells. The reporter encoded a red fluorescent protein, monomeric Cherry (mCherry), fused to histone 2B and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fused to a glycosylphosphatidylinositol sequence, with a self-cleaving 2A polypeptide separating the two fusion proteins. After translation, the red and green fluorescent proteins translocated to the nucleus and plasma membrane, respectively, of Sertoli cells. Transgene expression in testes was first detected by fluorescent microscopy around Embryonic Day 12.0. Sertoli cell division and migration were visualized during testis cord formation in organ culture. Initially, the Sertoli cells had mesenchyme-like morphologies and behaviors, but later, the cells migrated to the periphery of the testis cords to become epithelialized. In postnatal seminiferous tubules, Sertoli nuclei were evenly spaced when viewed from the external surface of tubules, and Sertoli cytoplasm and membranes were associated with germ cells basally in a rosette pattern. This mouse line was bred to previously described transgenic mouse lines expressing EGFP in Sertoli cytoplasm or a nuclear cyan fluorescent protein (Cerulean) and mCherry in plasma membranes of germ cells. This revealed the physical relationship between Sertoli and germ cells in developing testis cords and provided a novel perspective on Sertoli cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesl Nel-Themaat
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77005, USA
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