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Tan C, Ge ZD, Kurup S, Dyakiv Y, Liu T, Muller WA, Kume T. FOXC1 and FOXC2 Ablation Causes Abnormal Valvular Endothelial Cell Junctions and Lymphatic Vessel Formation in Myxomatous Mitral Valve Degeneration. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2024; 44:1944-1959. [PMID: 38989578 PMCID: PMC11335087 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.124.320316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mitral valve (MV) disease including myxomatous degeneration is the most common form of valvular heart disease with an age-dependent frequency. Genetic evidence indicates that mutations of the human transcription factor FOXC1 are associated with MV defects, including MV regurgitation. In this study, we sought to determine whether murine Foxc1 and its closely related factor, Foxc2, are required in valvular endothelial cells (VECs) for the maintenance of MV leaflets, including VEC junctions and the stratified trilaminar ECM (extracellular matrix). METHODS Adult mice carrying tamoxifen-inducible, vascular endothelial cell (EC), and lymphatic EC-specific, compound Foxc1;Foxc2 mutations (ie, EC-Foxc-DKO and lymphatic EC-Foxc-DKO mice, respectively) were used to study the function of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in the maintenance of MVs. The EC and lymphatic EC mutations of Foxc1/c2 were induced at 7 to 8 weeks of age by tamoxifen treatment, and abnormalities in the MVs of these mutant mice were assessed via whole-mount immunostaining, immunohistochemistry/RNAscope, Movat pentachrome/Masson Trichrome staining, and Evans blue injection. RESULTS EC deletions of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in mice resulted in abnormally extended and thicker MVs by causing defects in the regulation of ECM organization with increased proteoglycan and decreased collagen. Notably, reticular adherens junctions were found in VECs of control MV leaflets, and these reticular structures were severely disrupted in EC-Foxc-DKO mice. PROX1 (prospero homeobox protein 1), a key regulator in a subset of VECs on the fibrosa side of MVs, was downregulated in EC-Foxc1/c2 mutant VECs. Furthermore, we determined the precise location of lymphatic vessels in murine MVs, and these lymphatic vessels were aberrantly expanded and dysfunctional in EC-Foxc1/c2 mutant MVs. Lymphatic EC deletion of Foxc1/c2 also resulted in similar structural/ECM abnormalities as seen in EC-Foxc1/c2 mutant MVs. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that Foxc1 and Foxc2 are required for maintaining the integrity of the MV, including VEC junctions, ECM organization, and lymphatic vessel formation/function to prevent myxomatous MV degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Tan
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute (C.T., S.K., Y.D., T.L., T.K.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Zhi-Dong Ge
- Departments of Pediatrics, Surgery, and Pathology, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery and the Heart Center, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (Z.-D.G.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Shreya Kurup
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute (C.T., S.K., Y.D., T.L., T.K.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
- Honors College, University of Illinois at Chicago (S.K.)
| | - Yaryna Dyakiv
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute (C.T., S.K., Y.D., T.L., T.K.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Ting Liu
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute (C.T., S.K., Y.D., T.L., T.K.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - William A. Muller
- Department of Pathology (W.A.M.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute (C.T., S.K., Y.D., T.L., T.K.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
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Havrylov S, Chrystal P, van Baarle S, French CR, MacDonald IM, Avasarala J, Rogers RC, Berry FB, Kume T, Waskiewicz AJ, Lehmann OJ. Pleiotropy in FOXC1-attributable phenotypes involves altered ciliation and cilia-dependent signaling. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20278. [PMID: 39217245 PMCID: PMC11365983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71159-y] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations to cilia are responsible for a wide range of severe disease; however, understanding of the transcriptional control of ciliogenesis remains incomplete. In this study we investigated whether altered cilia-mediated signaling contributes to the pleiotropic phenotypes caused by the Forkhead transcription factor FOXC1. Here, we show that patients with FOXC1-attributable Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome (ARS) have a prevalence of ciliopathy-associated phenotypes comparable to syndromic ciliopathies. We demonstrate that altering the level of Foxc1 protein, via shRNA mediated inhibition, CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis and overexpression, modifies cilia length in vitro. These structural changes were associated with substantially perturbed cilia-dependent signaling [Hedgehog (Hh) and PDGFRα], and altered ciliary compartmentalization of the Hh pathway transcription factor, Gli2. Consistent with these data, in primary cultures of murine embryonic meninges, cilia length was significantly reduced in heterozygous and homozygous Foxc1 mutants compared to controls. Meningeal expression of the core Hh signaling components Gli1, Gli3 and Sufu was dysregulated, with comparable dysregulation of Pdgfrα signaling evident from significantly altered Pdgfrα and phosphorylated Pdgfrα expression. On the basis of these clinical and experimental findings, we propose a model that altered cilia-mediated signaling contributes to some FOXC1-induced phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serhiy Havrylov
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, 829 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Paul Chrystal
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, 829 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Suey van Baarle
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, 829 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Curtis R French
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, 829 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Ian M MacDonald
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, 829 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Jagannadha Avasarala
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Fred B Berry
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Surgery, 3002D Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
| | - Andrew J Waskiewicz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ordan J Lehmann
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Department of Ophthalmology, 829 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada.
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Almubarak A, Zhang Q, Zhang CH, Abdelwahab N, Kume T, Lassar AB, Berry FB. FOXC1 and FOXC2 regulate growth plate chondrocyte maturation towards hypertrophy in the embryonic mouse limb skeleton. Development 2024; 151:dev202798. [PMID: 39012257 PMCID: PMC11361642 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The Forkhead box transcription factors FOXC1 and FOXC2 are expressed in condensing mesenchyme cells at the onset of endochondral ossification. We used the Prx1-cre mouse to ablate Foxc1 and Foxc2 in limb skeletal progenitor cells. Prx1-cre;Foxc1Δ/Δ;Foxc2Δ/Δ limbs were shorter than controls, with worsening phenotypes in distal structures. Cartilage formation and mineralization was severely disrupted in the paws. The radius and tibia were malformed, whereas the fibula and ulna remained unmineralized. Chondrocyte maturation was delayed, with fewer Indian hedgehog-expressing, prehypertrophic chondrocytes forming and a smaller hypertrophic chondrocyte zone. Later, progression out of chondrocyte hypertrophy was slowed, leading to an accumulation of COLX-expressing hypertrophic chondrocytes and formation of a smaller primary ossification center with fewer osteoblast progenitor cells populating this region. Targeting Foxc1 and Foxc2 in hypertrophic chondrocytes with Col10a1-cre also resulted in an expanded hypertrophic chondrocyte zone and smaller primary ossification center. Our findings suggest that FOXC1 and FOXC2 direct chondrocyte maturation towards hypertrophic chondrocyte formation. At later stages, FOXC1 and FOXC2 regulate function in hypertrophic chondrocyte remodeling to allow primary ossification center formation and osteoblast recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asra Almubarak
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Qiuwan Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cheng-Hai Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Noor Abdelwahab
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Andrew B. Lassar
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Fred B. Berry
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
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Tan C, Kurup S, Dyakiv Y, Kume T. FOXC1 and FOXC2 maintain mitral valve endothelial cell junctions, extracellular matrix, and lymphatic vessels to prevent myxomatous degeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.30.555455. [PMID: 37693499 PMCID: PMC10491158 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.555455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Background Mitral valve (MV) disease including myxomatous degeneration is the most common form of valvular heart disease with an age-dependent frequency. Genetic evidence indicates mutations of the transcription factor FOXC1 are associated with MV defects, including mitral valve regurgitation. In this study, we sought to determine whether murine Foxc1 and its closely related factor, Foxc2, are required in valvular endothelial cells (VECs) for the maintenance of MV leaflets, including VEC junctions and the stratified trilaminar extracellular matrix (ECM). Methods Adult mice carrying tamoxifen-inducible, endothelial cell (EC)-specific, compound Foxc1;Foxc2 mutations (i.e., EC-Foxc-DKO mice) were used to study the function of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in the maintenance of mitral valves. The EC-mutations of Foxc1/c2 were induced at 7 - 8 weeks of age by tamoxifen treatment, and abnormalities in the MVs of EC-Foxc-DKO mice were assessed via whole-mount immunostaining, immunohistochemistry, and Movat pentachrome/Masson's Trichrome staining. Results EC-deletions of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in mice resulted in abnormally extended and thicker mitral valves by causing defects in regulation of ECM organization with increased proteoglycan and decreased collagen. Notably, reticular adherens junctions were found in VECs of control MV leaflets, and these reticular structures were severely disrupted in EC-Foxc1/c2 mutant mice. PROX1, a key regulator in a subset of VECs on the fibrosa side of MVs, was downregulated in EC-Foxc1/c2 mutant VECs. Furthermore, we determined the precise location of lymphatic vessels in murine MVs, and these lymphatic vessels were aberrantly expanded in EC-Foxc1/c2 mutant mitral valves. Conclusions Our results indicate that Foxc1 and Foxc2 are required for maintaining the integrity of the MV, including VEC junctions, ECM organization, and lymphatic vessels to prevent myxomatous mitral valve degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Tan
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Shreya Kurup
- Honors College, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yaryna Dyakiv
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Wang Z, Jin C, Li P, Li Y, Tang J, Yu Z, Jiao T, Ou J, Wang H, Zou D, Li M, Mang X, Liu J, Lu Y, Li K, Zhang N, Yu J, Miao S, Wang L, Song W. Identification of quiescent FOXC2 + spermatogonial stem cells in adult mammals. eLife 2023; 12:RP85380. [PMID: 37610429 PMCID: PMC10446825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In adult mammals, spermatogenesis embodies the complex developmental process from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) to spermatozoa. At the top of this developmental hierarchy lie a series of SSC subpopulations. Their individual identities as well as the relationships with each other, however, remain largely elusive. Using single-cell analysis and lineage tracing, we discovered both in mice and humans the quiescent adult SSC subpopulation marked specifically by forkhead box protein C2 (FOXC2). All spermatogenic progenies can be derived from FOXC2+ SSCs and the ablation of FOXC2+ SSCs led to the depletion of the undifferentiated spermatogonia pool. During germline regeneration, FOXC2+ SSCs were activated and able to completely restore the process. Germ cell-specific Foxc2 knockout resulted in an accelerated exhaustion of SSCs and eventually led to male infertility. Furthermore, FOXC2 prompts the expressions of negative regulators of cell cycle thereby ensures the SSCs reside in quiescence. Thus, this work proposes that the quiescent FOXC2+ SSCs are essential for maintaining the homeostasis and regeneration of spermatogenesis in adult mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Cheng Jin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengyu Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yiran Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jielin Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Zhixin Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Tao Jiao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jinhuan Ou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Dingfeng Zou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Mengzhen Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Xinyu Mang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yan Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Ning Zhang
- Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU), School of Life Sciences, University of DundeeDundeeUnited Kingdom
| | - Jia Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Shiying Miao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Linfang Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Wei Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
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Tan C, Norden PR, Yu W, Liu T, Ujiie N, Lee SK, Yan X, Dyakiv Y, Aoto K, Ortega S, De Plaen IG, Sampath V, Kume T. Endothelial FOXC1 and FOXC2 promote intestinal regeneration after ischemia-reperfusion injury. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e56030. [PMID: 37154714 PMCID: PMC10328078 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Intestinal ischemia underlies several clinical conditions and can result in the loss of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Ischemia-induced damage to the intestinal epithelium is repaired by stimulation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs), and paracrine signaling from the vascular niche regulates intestinal regeneration. Here, we identify FOXC1 and FOXC2 as essential regulators of paracrine signaling in intestinal regeneration after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Vascular endothelial cell (EC)- and lymphatic EC (LEC)-specific deletions of Foxc1, Foxc2, or both in mice worsen I/R-induced intestinal damage by causing defects in vascular regrowth, expression of chemokine CXCL12 and Wnt activator R-spondin 3 (RSPO3) in blood ECs (BECs) and LECs, respectively, and activation of Wnt signaling in ISCs. Both FOXC1 and FOXC2 directly bind to regulatory elements of the CXCL12 and RSPO3 loci in BECs and LECs, respectively. Treatment with CXCL12 and RSPO3 rescues the I/R-induced intestinal damage in EC- and LEC-Foxc mutant mice, respectively. This study provides evidence that FOXC1 and FOXC2 are required for intestinal regeneration by stimulating paracrine CXCL12 and Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Tan
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Pieter R Norden
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Wei Yu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of PediatricsChildren's Mercy HospitalKansas CityMOUSA
| | - Ting Liu
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Naoto Ujiie
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Sun Kyong Lee
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Xiaocai Yan
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Yaryna Dyakiv
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Kazushi Aoto
- Department of BiochemistryHamamatsu University School of MedicineHamamatsuJapan
| | - Sagrario Ortega
- Mouse Genome Editing Unit, Biotechnology ProgramSpanish National Cancer Research CentreMadridSpain
| | - Isabelle G De Plaen
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
| | - Venkatesh Sampath
- Division of Neonatology, Department of PediatricsChildren's Mercy HospitalKansas CityMOUSA
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoILUSA
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Almubarak A, Zhang Q, Zhang CH, Lassar AB, Kume T, Berry FB. Foxc1 and Foxc2 function in osteochondral progenitors for the progression through chondrocyte hypertrophy and mineralization of the primary ossification center. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.26.538325. [PMID: 37162896 PMCID: PMC10168324 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.26.538325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The forkhead box transcription factor genes Foxc1 and Foxc2 are expressed in the condensing mesenchyme of the developing skeleton prior to the onset of chondrocyte differentiation. To determine the roles of these transcription factors in limb development we deleted both Foxc1 and Foxc2 in lateral plate mesoderm using the Prx1-cre mouse line. Resulting compound homozygous mice died shortly after birth with exencephaly, and malformations to this sternum and limb skeleton. Notably distal limb structures were preferentially affected, with the autopods displaying reduced or absent mineralization. The radius and tibia bowed and the ulna and fibula were reduced to an unmineralized rudimentary structure. Molecular analysis revealed reduced expression of Ihh leading to reduced proliferation and delayed chondrocyte hypertrophy at E14.5. At later ages, Prx1-cre;Foxc1Δ/ Δ;Foxc2 Δ / Δ embryos exhibited restored Ihh expression and an expanded COLX-positive hypertrophic chondrocyte region, indicating a delayed exit and impaired remodeling of the hypertrophic chondrocytes. Osteoblast differentiation and mineralization were disrupted at the osteochondral junction and in the primary ossification center (POC). Levels of OSTEOPONTIN were elevated in the POC of compound homozygous mutants, while expression of Phex was reduced, indicating that impaired OPN processing by PHEX may underlie the mineralization defect we observe. Together our findings suggest that Foxc1 and Foxc2 act at different stages of endochondral ossification. Initially these genes act during the onset of chondrogenesis leading to the formation of hypertrophic chondrocytes. At later stages Foxc1 and Foxc2 are required for remodeling of HC and for Phex expression required for mineralization of the POC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asra Almubarak
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Qiuwan Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA. 02115
| | - Cheng-Hai Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA. 02115
| | - Andrew B. Lassar
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA. 02115
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Fred B Berry
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
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Aboobakar IF, Wiggs JL. The genetics of glaucoma: Disease associations, personalised risk assessment and therapeutic opportunities-A review. Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2022; 50:143-162. [PMID: 35037362 DOI: 10.1111/ceo.14035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma refers to a heterogenous group of disorders characterised by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and associated visual field loss. Both early-onset and adult-onset forms of the disease have a strong genetic component. Here, we summarise the known genetic associations for various forms of glaucoma and the possible functional roles for these genes in disease pathogenesis. We also discuss efforts to translate genetic knowledge into clinical practice, including gene-based tests for disease diagnosis and risk-stratification as well as gene-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inas F Aboobakar
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Almubarak A, Lavy R, Srnic N, Hu Y, Maripuri DP, Kume T, Berry FB. Loss of Foxc1 and Foxc2 function in chondroprogenitor cells disrupts endochondral ossification. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101020. [PMID: 34331943 PMCID: PMC8383119 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Endochondral ossification initiates the growth of the majority of the mammalian skeleton and is tightly controlled through gene regulatory networks. The forkhead box transcription factors Foxc1 and Foxc2 regulate aspects of osteoblast function in the formation of the skeleton, but their roles in chondrocytes to control endochondral ossification are less clear. Here, we demonstrate that Foxc1 expression is directly regulated by the activity of SRY (sex-determining region Y)-box 9, one of the earliest transcription factors to specify the chondrocyte lineage. Moreover, we demonstrate that elevated expression of Foxc1 promotes chondrocyte differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells and loss of Foxc1 function inhibits chondrogenesis in vitro. Using chondrocyte-targeted deletion of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in mice, we reveal a role for these factors in chondrocyte differentiation in vivo. Loss of both Foxc1 and Foxc2 caused a general skeletal dysplasia predominantly affecting the vertebral column. The long bones of the limbs were smaller, mineralization was reduced, and organization of the growth plate was disrupted; in particular, the stacked columnar organization of the proliferative chondrocyte layer was reduced in size and cell proliferation was decreased. Differential gene expression analysis indicated disrupted expression patterns of chondrogenesis and ossification genes throughout the entire process of endochondral ossification in chondrocyte-specific Foxc1/Foxc2 KO embryos. Our results suggest that Foxc1 and Foxc2 are required for normal chondrocyte differentiation and function, as loss of both genes results in disorganization of the growth plate, reduced chondrocyte proliferation, and delays in chondrocyte hypertrophy that prevents ossification of the skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asra Almubarak
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rotem Lavy
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nikola Srnic
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yawen Hu
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Tsutomo Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Fred B Berry
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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10
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Welsh JD, Hoofnagle MH, Bamezai S, Oxendine M, Lim L, Hall JD, Yang J, Schultz S, Engel JD, Kume T, Oliver G, Jimenez JM, Kahn ML. Hemodynamic regulation of perivalvular endothelial gene expression prevents deep venous thrombosis. J Clin Invest 2020; 129:5489-5500. [PMID: 31710307 DOI: 10.1172/jci124791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and secondary pulmonary embolism cause approximately 100,000 deaths per year in the United States. Physical immobility is the most significant risk factor for DVT, but a molecular and cellular basis for this link has not been defined. We found that the endothelial cells surrounding the venous valve, where DVTs originate, express high levels of FOXC2 and PROX1, transcription factors known to be activated by oscillatory shear stress. The perivalvular venous endothelial cells exhibited a powerful antithrombotic phenotype characterized by low levels of the prothrombotic proteins vWF, P-selectin, and ICAM1 and high levels of the antithrombotic proteins thrombomodulin (THBD), endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR), and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI). The perivalvular antithrombotic phenotype was lost following genetic deletion of FOXC2 or femoral artery ligation to reduce venous flow in mice, and at the site of origin of human DVT associated with fatal pulmonary embolism. Oscillatory blood flow was detected at perivalvular sites in human veins following muscular activity, but not in the immobile state or after activation of an intermittent compression device designed to prevent DVT. These findings support a mechanism of DVT pathogenesis in which loss of muscular activity results in loss of oscillatory shear-dependent transcriptional and antithrombotic phenotypes in perivalvular venous endothelial cells, and suggest that prevention of DVT and pulmonary embolism may be improved by mechanical devices specifically designed to restore perivalvular oscillatory flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Welsh
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark H Hoofnagle
- Department of Surgery, Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sharika Bamezai
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael Oxendine
- Center for Vascular and Developmental Biology, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lillian Lim
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua D Hall
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jisheng Yang
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Susan Schultz
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James Douglas Engel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Center for Vascular and Developmental Biology, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Guillermo Oliver
- Center for Vascular and Developmental Biology, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Juan M Jimenez
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark L Kahn
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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11
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Norden PR, Sabine A, Wang Y, Demir CS, Liu T, Petrova TV, Kume T. Shear stimulation of FOXC1 and FOXC2 differentially regulates cytoskeletal activity during lymphatic valve maturation. eLife 2020; 9:53814. [PMID: 32510325 PMCID: PMC7302880 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the transcription factor FOXC2 are predominately associated with lymphedema. Herein, we demonstrate a key role for related factor FOXC1, in addition to FOXC2, in regulating cytoskeletal activity in lymphatic valves. FOXC1 is induced by laminar, but not oscillatory, shear and inducible, endothelial-specific deletion impaired postnatal lymphatic valve maturation in mice. However, deletion of Foxc2 induced valve degeneration, which is exacerbated in Foxc1; Foxc2 mutants. FOXC1 knockdown (KD) in human lymphatic endothelial cells increased focal adhesions and actin stress fibers whereas FOXC2-KD increased focal adherens and disrupted cell junctions, mediated by increased ROCK activation. ROCK inhibition rescued cytoskeletal or junctional integrity changes induced by inactivation of FOXC1 and FOXC2 invitro and vivo respectively, but only ameliorated valve degeneration in Foxc2 mutants. These results identify both FOXC1 and FOXC2 as mediators of mechanotransduction in the postnatal lymphatic vasculature and posit cytoskeletal signaling as a therapeutic target in lymphatic pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter R Norden
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, United States
| | - Amélie Sabine
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, United States
| | - Cansaran Saygili Demir
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Ting Liu
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, United States
| | - Tatiana V Petrova
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, United States
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12
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The Hematopoietic Oxidase NOX2 Regulates Self-Renewal of Leukemic Stem Cells. Cell Rep 2020; 27:238-254.e6. [PMID: 30943405 PMCID: PMC6931909 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The NADPH-dependent oxidase NOX2 is an important effector of immune cell function, and its activity has been linked to oncogenic signaling. Here, we describe a role for NOX2 in leukemia-initiating stem cell populations (LSCs). In a murine model of leukemia, suppression of NOX2 impaired core metabolism, attenuated disease development, and depleted functionally defined LSCs. Transcriptional analysis of purified LSCs revealed that deficiency of NOX2 collapses the self-renewal program and activates inflammatory and myeloid-differentiation-associated programs. Downstream of NOX2, we identified the forkhead transcription factor FOXC1 as a mediator of the phenotype. Notably, suppression of NOX2 or FOXC1 led to marked differentiation of leukemic blasts. In xenotransplantation models of primary human myeloid leukemia, suppression of either NOX2 or FOXC1 significantly attenuated disease development. Collectively, these findings position NOX2 as a critical regulator of malignant hematopoiesis and highlight the clinical potential of inhibiting NOX2 as a means to target LSCs.
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13
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Sanchez J, Miyake R, Cheng A, Liu T, Iseki S, Kume T. Conditional inactivation of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in neural crest cells leads to cardiac abnormalities. Genesis 2020; 58:e23364. [PMID: 32259372 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac neural crest cells (cNCCs) are required for normal heart development. cNCCs are a multipotent and migratory cell lineage that differentiates into multiple cell types. cNCCs migrate into the developing heart to contribute to the septation of the cardiac outflow tract (OFT). Foxc1 and Foxc2 are closely related members of the FOX (Forkhead box) transcription factor family and are expressed in cNCC during heart development. However, the precise role of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in cNCCs has yet to be fully described. We found that compound NCC-specific Foxc1;Foxc2 mutant embryos exhibited persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA), ventricular septal defects (VSDs), and thinning of the ventricular myocardium. Loss of Foxc1/c2 expression in cNCCs resulted in abnormal patterns of cNCC migration into the OFT without the formation of the aorticopulmonary septum. Further, loss of Foxc1 expression in cNCCs resulted in normal OFT development but abnormal ventricular septal formation. In contrast, loss of Foxc2 expression in NCCs led to no obvious cardiac abnormalities. Together, we provide evidence that Foxc1 and Foxc2 in cNCCs are cooperatively required for proper cNCC migration, the formation of the OFT septation, and the development of the ventricles. Our data also suggests that Foxc1 expression may play a larger role in ventricular development compared to Foxc2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Sanchez
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Risa Miyake
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrew Cheng
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ting Liu
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sachiko Iseki
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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14
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Lyons O, Saha P, Seet C, Kuchta A, Arnold A, Grover S, Rashbrook V, Sabine A, Vizcay-Barrena G, Patel A, Ludwinski F, Padayachee S, Kume T, Kwak BR, Brice G, Mansour S, Ostergaard P, Mortimer P, Jeffery S, Brown N, Makinen T, Petrova TV, Modarai B, Smith A. Human venous valve disease caused by mutations in FOXC2 and GJC2. J Exp Med 2020; 214:2437-2452. [PMID: 28724617 PMCID: PMC5551565 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20160875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Venous valves (VVs) prevent venous hypertension and ulceration. We report that FOXC2 and GJC2 mutations are associated with reduced VV number and length. In mice, early VV formation is marked by elongation and reorientation ("organization") of Prox1hi endothelial cells by postnatal day 0. The expression of the transcription factors Foxc2 and Nfatc1 and the gap junction proteins Gjc2, Gja1, and Gja4 were temporospatially regulated during this process. Foxc2 and Nfatc1 were coexpressed at P0, and combined Foxc2 deletion with calcineurin-Nfat inhibition disrupted early Prox1hi endothelial organization, suggesting cooperative Foxc2-Nfatc1 patterning of these events. Genetic deletion of Gjc2, Gja4, or Gja1 also disrupted early VV Prox1hi endothelial organization at postnatal day 0, and this likely underlies the VV defects seen in patients with GJC2 mutations. Knockout of Gja4 or Gjc2 resulted in reduced proliferation of Prox1hi valve-forming cells. At later stages of blood flow, Foxc2 and calcineurin-Nfat signaling are each required for growth of the valve leaflets, whereas Foxc2 is not required for VV maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Lyons
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Prakash Saha
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Christopher Seet
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Adam Kuchta
- Department of Ultrasonic Angiology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UK
| | - Andrew Arnold
- Department of Ultrasonic Angiology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UK
| | - Steven Grover
- Division of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Victoria Rashbrook
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Amélie Sabine
- Department of Fundamental Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Experimental Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Gema Vizcay-Barrena
- Center for Ultrastructural Imaging, King's College London, London, England, UK
| | - Ash Patel
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Francesca Ludwinski
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Soundrie Padayachee
- Department of Ultrasonic Angiology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UK
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Evanston, IL
| | - Brenda R Kwak
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Glen Brice
- South West Thames Regional Genetics Service, St George's Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Sahar Mansour
- South West Thames Regional Genetics Service, St George's Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Pia Ostergaard
- Cardiovascular and Cell Sciences Institute, St George's Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Peter Mortimer
- Cardiovascular and Cell Sciences Institute, St George's Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Steve Jeffery
- Cardiovascular and Cell Sciences Institute, St George's Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Nigel Brown
- Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Taija Makinen
- Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tatiana V Petrova
- Department of Fundamental Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Experimental Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Bijan Modarai
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Alberto Smith
- Academic Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, England, UK
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15
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Shen H, Lu C, Shi J, Li H, Si J, Shen G. Satb2 expression in Foxc1-promoted osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells is negatively regulated by microRNA-103-3p. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2019; 51:588-597. [PMID: 31089719 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The forkhead transcription factor C1 (Foxc1) is a cell-fate-determining factor that controls cranial bone development and osteogenic differentiation. Previously, it was demonstrated that various microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in osteogenesis and regulate the complex process of osteogenic differentiation. However, it remains unclear how miRNA expression changes during Foxc1-promoted osteogenic differentiation. In this study, we successfully overexpressed the Foxc1 gene in MC3T3-E1 cells and investigated the alterations in the miRNA expression profile on day 3 after osteogenic induction by using a miRNA microarray. Nine downregulated miRNAs and eight upregulated miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed. Among these miRNAs, miR-103-3p was consistently downregulated in the Foxc1-overexpressing MC3T3-E1 cells and was identified as a negative regulator of osteogenic differentiation by using a gain- and lose-of-function assay. The special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (Satb2), a pivotal osteogenic transcription factor, was identified as the miR-103-3p targeting gene and was verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, and luciferase assay. Overexpression of miR-103-3p markedly inhibited the expression of Satb2 and attenuated Foxc1-promoted osteogenic differentiation. Taken together, our results elucidated the miRNA expression profiles of MC3T3-E1 cells in the early stage of Foxc1-promoted osteogenic differentiation and suggested that miR-103-3p acts as a negative regulator of the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells by directly targeting Satb2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhou Shen
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenpei Lu
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Shi
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongliang Li
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiawen Si
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - Guofang Shen
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
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16
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Inman KE, Caiaffa CD, Melton KR, Sandell LL, Achilleos A, Kume T, Trainor PA. Foxc2 is required for proper cardiac neural crest cell migration, outflow tract septation, and ventricle expansion. Dev Dyn 2019; 247:1286-1296. [PMID: 30376688 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proper development of the great vessels of the heart and septation of the cardiac outflow tract requires cardiac neural crest cells. These cells give rise to the parasympathetic cardiac ganglia, the smooth muscle layer of the great vessels, some cardiomyocytes, and the conotruncal cushions and aorticopulmonary septum of the outflow tract. Ablation of cardiac neural crest cells results in defective patterning of each of these structures. Previous studies have shown that targeted deletion of the forkhead transcription factor C2 (Foxc2), results in cardiac phenotypes similar to that derived from cardiac neural crest cell ablation. RESULTS We report that Foxc2-/- embryos on the 129s6/SvEv inbred genetic background display persistent truncus arteriosus and hypoplastic ventricles before embryonic lethality. Foxc2 loss-of-function resulted in perturbed cardiac neural crest cell migration and their reduced contribution to the outflow tract as evidenced by lineage tracing analyses together with perturbed expression of the neural crest cell markers Sox10 and Crabp1. Foxc2 loss-of-function also resulted in alterations in PlexinD1, Twist1, PECAM1, and Hand1/2 expression in association with vascular and ventricular defects. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate Foxc2 is required for proper migration of cardiac neural crest cells, septation of the outflow tract, and development of the ventricles. Developmental Dynamics 247:1286-1296, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly E Inman
- Department of Natural Sciences, Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio
| | | | - Kristin R Melton
- Section of Neonatology, Pulmonary and Perinatal Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Lisa L Sandell
- Department of Oral Immunology & Infectious Diseases, School of Dentistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Annita Achilleos
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Paul A Trainor
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas
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17
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Mya N, Furutera T, Okuhara S, Kume T, Takechi M, Iseki S. Transcription factor Foxc1 is involved in anterior part of cranial base formation. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2018; 58:158-166. [PMID: 29322554 DOI: 10.1111/cga.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The cranial base is a structure mainly formed through endochondral ossification and integrated into the craniofacial complex, which acts as an underlying platform for the developing brain. Foxc1 is an indispensable regulator during intramembranous and endochondral ossification. In this study, we found that the spontaneous loss of Foxc1 function in a mouse (congenital hydrocephalous), Foxc1ch/ch , demonstrated the anterior cranial base defects, including unossified presphenoid and lack of middle part of the basisphenoid bone. Hypoplastic presphenoid primordial cartilage (basal portion of the trabecular cartilage [bTB]) and a lack of the middle part of basisphenoid primordial cartilage (the hypophyseal cartilage) were consistently observed at earlier developmental stage. Foxc1 was expressed robustly and ubiquitously in undifferentiated mesenchyme of the cranial base-forming area in E11.0 wild-type fetuses. Once chondrogenesis commenced, the expression was downregulated and later limited to the perichondrium. Detection of transcripts of Collagen type2 A1 (Col2a1) revealed that both bTB and the anterior part of the hypophyseal cartilage developing anterior to the persistent epithelial stalk of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland were suppressed in the Foxc1ch/ch . Proliferation activity of chondrocyte precursor cells was higher in the Foxc1ch/ch . Loss of Foxc1 function only in the neural crest cell lineage (Wnt1-cre;Foxc1ch/flox ) showed ossification of the posterior part of the hypophyseal cartilage derived from the mesoderm. These findings suggest that Foxc1 is an important regulator to further chondrogenesis and initiate the ossification of the presphenoid and basisphenoid bones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandar Mya
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiko Furutera
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeru Okuhara
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Masaki Takechi
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachiko Iseki
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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18
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Seo S, Chen L, Liu W, Zhao D, Schultz KM, Sasman A, Liu T, Zhang HF, Gage PJ, Kume T. Foxc1 and Foxc2 in the Neural Crest Are Required for Ocular Anterior Segment Development. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 58:1368-1377. [PMID: 28253399 PMCID: PMC5361455 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-21217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The large Forkhead (Fox) transcription factor family has essential roles in development, and mutations cause a wide range of ocular and nonocular disease. One member, Foxc2 is expressed in neural crest (NC)-derived periocular mesenchymal cells of the developing murine eye; however, its precise role in the development, establishment, and maintenance of the ocular surface has yet to be investigated. Methods To specifically delete Foxc2 from NC-derived cells, conditional knockout mice for Foxc2 (NC-Foxc2−/−) were generated by crossing Foxc2F mice with Wnt1-Cre mice. Similarly, we also generated compound NC-specific mutations of Foxc2 and a closely related gene, Foxc1 (NC-Foxc1−/−;NC-Foxc2−/−) in mice. Results Neural crest-Foxc2−/− mice show abnormal thickness in the peripheral-to-central corneal stroma and limbus and displaced pupils with irregular iris. The neural crest-specific mutation in Foxc2 also leads to ectopic neovascularization in the cornea, as well as impaired ocular epithelial cell identity and corneal conjunctivalization. Compound, NC-specific Foxc1; Foxc2 homozygous mutant mice have more severe defects in structures of the ocular surface, such as the cornea and eyelids, accompanied by significant declines in the expression of another key developmental factor, Pitx2, and its downstream effector Dkk2, which antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling. Conclusions The neural crest-Foxc2 mutation is associated with corneal conjunctivalization, ectopic corneal neovascularization, and disrupted ocular epithelial cell identity. Furthermore, Foxc2 and Foxc1 cooperatively function in NC-derived mesenchymal cells to ensure proper morphogenesis of the ocular surface via the regulation of Wnt signaling. Together, Foxc2 is required in the NC lineage for mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in corneal and ocular surface development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwoon Seo
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States 2Department of Life Science, Research Center for Cellular Homeostasis, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Lisheng Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Wenzhong Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | - Demin Zhao
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Kathryn M Schultz
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Amy Sasman
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Ting Liu
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Hao F Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | - Philip J Gage
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
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19
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Motojima M, Kume T, Matsusaka T. Foxc1 and Foxc2 are necessary to maintain glomerular podocytes. Exp Cell Res 2017; 352:265-272. [PMID: 28223138 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Foxc1 and Foxc2 (Foxc1/2) are transcription factors involved in many biological processes. In adult kidneys, expression of Foxc1/2 is confined to the glomerular epithelial cells, i.e., podocytes. To bypass embryonic lethality of Foxc1/2 null mice, mice ubiquitously expressing inducible-Cre (ROSA26-CreERT2) or mice expressing Cre in podocytes (Nephrin-Cre) were mated with floxed-Foxc1 and floxed-Foxc2 mice. The CreERT2 was activated in adult mice by administrations of tamoxifen. Eight weeks after tamoxifen treatment, ROSA26-CreERT2; Foxc1+/flox; Foxc2flox/flox mice developed microalbuminuria, while ROSA26-Cre ERT2; Foxc1flox/flox; Foxc2+/flox mice had no microalbuminuria. The kidneys of conditional-Foxc1/2 null mice showed proteinaceous casts, protein reabsorption droplets in tubules and huge vacuoles in podocytes, indicating severe podocyte injury and massive proteinuria. Comparison of gene expression profiles revealed that Foxc1/2 maintain expression of genes necessary for podocyte function such as podocin and Cxcl12. In addition, mice with an innate podocyte-specific deletion of Foxc1/2 by Nephrin-Cre develop similar podocyte injury. These results demonstrate dose-dependence of Foxc1/2 gene in maintaining the podocyte with a more critical role for Foxc2 than Foxc1 and a critical role of Foxc1/2 in regulating expression of genes that maintain podocyte integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Motojima
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Taiji Matsusaka
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
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Wang X, Shan X, Gregory-Evans CY. A mouse model of aniridia reveals the in vivo downstream targets of Pax6 driving iris and ciliary body development in the eye. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2017; 1863:60-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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21
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Amin MB, Miura N, Uddin MKM, Islam MJ, Yoshida N, Iseki S, Kume T, Trainor PA, Saitsu H, Aoto K. Foxc2 CreERT2 knock-in mice mark stage-specific Foxc2-expressing cells during mouse organogenesis. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2017; 57:24-31. [PMID: 27783871 DOI: 10.1111/cga.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Foxc2, a member of the winged helix transcription factor family, is essential for eye, calvarial bone, cardiovascular and kidney development in mice. Nevertheless, how Foxc2-expressing cells and their descendent cells contribute to the development of these tissues and organs has not been elucidated. Here, we generated a Foxc2 knock-in (Foxc2CreERT2 ) mouse, in which administration of estrogen receptor antagonist tamoxifen induces nuclear translocation of Cre recombinase in Foxc2-expressing cells. By crossing with ROSA-LacZ reporter mice (Foxc2CreERT2 ; R26R), the fate of Foxc2 positive (Foxc2+ ) cells was analyzed through LacZ staining at various embryonic stages. We found Foxc2+ cell descendants in the supraoccipital and exoccipital bone in E18.5 embryos, when tamoxifen was administered at embryonic day (E) 8.5. Furthermore, Foxc2+ descendant cranial neural crest cells at E8-10 were restricted to the corneal mesenchyme, while Foxc2+ cell derived cardiac neural crest cells at E6-12 were found in the aorta, pulmonary trunk and valves, and endocardial cushions. Foxc2+ cell descendant contributions to the glomerular podocytes in the kidney were also observed following E6.5 tamoxifen treatment. Our results are consistent with previous reports of Foxc2 expression during early embryogenesis and the Foxc2CreERT2 mouse provides a tool to investigate spatiotemporal roles of Foxc2 and contributions of Foxc2+ expressing cells during mouse embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Badrul Amin
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Miura
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | | | | | - Nobuaki Yoshida
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachiko Iseki
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Erin Lambers, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Paul A Trainor
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Hirotomo Saitsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Kazushi Aoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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22
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Mishra S, Choe Y, Pleasure SJ, Siegenthaler JA. Cerebrovascular defects in Foxc1 mutants correlate with aberrant WNT and VEGF-A pathways downstream of retinoic acid from the meninges. Dev Biol 2016; 420:148-165. [PMID: 27671872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Growth and maturation of the cerebrovasculature is a vital event in neocortical development however mechanisms that control cerebrovascular development remain poorly understood. Mutations in or deletions that include the FOXC1 gene are associated with congenital cerebrovascular anomalies and increased stroke risk in patients. Foxc1 mutant mice display severe cerebrovascular hemorrhage at late gestational ages. While these data demonstrate Foxc1 is required for cerebrovascular development, its broad expression in the brain vasculature combined with Foxc1 mutant's complex developmental defects have made it difficult to pinpoint its function(s). Using global and conditional Foxc1 mutants, we find 1) significant cerebrovascular growth defects precede cerebral hemorrhage and 2) expression of Foxc1 in neural crest-derived meninges and brain pericytes, though not endothelial cells, is required for normal cerebrovascular development. We provide evidence that reduced levels of meninges-derived retinoic acid (RA), caused by defects in meninges formation in Foxc1 mutants, is a major contributing factor to the cerebrovascular growth defects in Foxc1 mutants. We provide data that suggests that meninges-derived RA ensures adequate growth of the neocortical vasculature via regulating expression of WNT pathway proteins and neural progenitor derived-VEGF-A. Our findings offer the first evidence for a role of the meninges in brain vascular development and provide new insight into potential causes of cerebrovascular defects in patients with FOXC1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Mishra
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Youngshik Choe
- Department of Neurology, Programs in Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Samuel J Pleasure
- Department of Neurology, Programs in Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Julie A Siegenthaler
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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23
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Cui CY, Ishii R, Campbell DP, Michel M, Piao Y, Kume T, Schlessinger D. Foxc1 Ablated Mice Are Anhidrotic and Recapitulate Features of Human Miliaria Sweat Retention Disorder. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 137:38-45. [PMID: 27592801 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Sweat glands are critical for thermoregulation. The single tubular structure of sweat glands has a lower secretory portion and an upper reabsorptive duct leading to the secretory pore in the skin. Genes that determine sweat gland structure and function are largely unidentified. Here we report that a Fox family transcription factor, Foxc1, is obligate for appreciable sweat duct activity in mice. When Foxc1 was specifically ablated in skin, sweat glands appeared mature, but the mice were severely hypohidrotic. Morphologic analysis revealed that sweat ducts were blocked by hyperkeratotic or parakeratotic plugs. Consequently, lumens in ducts and secretory portions were dilated, and blisters and papules formed on the skin surface in the knockout mice. The phenotype was strikingly similar to the human sweat retention disorder miliaria. We further show that Foxc1 deficiency ectopically induces the expression of keratinocyte terminal differentiation markers in the duct luminal cells, which most likely contribute to keratotic plug formation. Among those differentiation markers, we show that Sprr2a transcription is directly repressed by overexpressed Foxc1 in keratinocytes. In summary, Foxc1 regulates sweat duct luminal cell differentiation, and mutant mice mimic miliaria and provide a possible animal model for its study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Yi Cui
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
| | - Ryuga Ishii
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Dean P Campbell
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Michel
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yulan Piao
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - David Schlessinger
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Fatima A, Wang Y, Uchida Y, Norden P, Liu T, Culver A, Dietz WH, Culver F, Millay M, Mukouyama YS, Kume T. Foxc1 and Foxc2 deletion causes abnormal lymphangiogenesis and correlates with ERK hyperactivation. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:2437-51. [PMID: 27214551 PMCID: PMC4922698 DOI: 10.1172/jci80465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The lymphatic vasculature is essential for maintaining interstitial fluid homeostasis, and dysfunctional lymphangiogenesis contributes to various pathological processes, including inflammatory disease and tumor metastasis. Mutations in FOXC2 are dominantly associated with late-onset lymphedema; however, the precise role of FOXC2 and a closely related factor, FOXC1, in the lymphatic system remains largely unknown. Here we identified a molecular cascade by which FOXC1 and FOXC2 regulate ERK signaling in lymphatic vessel growth. In mice, lymphatic endothelial cell-specific (LEC-specific) deletion of Foxc1, Foxc2, or both resulted in increased LEC proliferation, enlarged lymphatic vessels, and abnormal lymphatic vessel morphogenesis. Compared with LECs from control animals, LECs from mice lacking both Foxc1 and Foxc2 exhibited aberrant expression of Ras regulators, and embryos with LEC-specific deletion of Foxc1 and Foxc2, alone or in combination, exhibited ERK hyperactivation. Pharmacological ERK inhibition in utero abolished the abnormally enlarged lymphatic vessels in FOXC-deficient embryos. Together, these results identify FOXC1 and FOXC2 as essential regulators of lymphangiogenesis and indicate a new potential mechanistic basis for lymphatic-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anees Fatima
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yutaka Uchida
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Pieter Norden
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ting Liu
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Austin Culver
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - William H. Dietz
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ford Culver
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Meredith Millay
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yoh-suke Mukouyama
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Motojima M, Tanimoto S, Ohtsuka M, Matsusaka T, Kume T, Abe K. Characterization of Kidney and Skeleton Phenotypes of Mice Double Heterozygous for Foxc1 and Foxc2. Cells Tissues Organs 2016; 201:380-9. [PMID: 27193493 DOI: 10.1159/000445027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Foxc1 and Foxc2 play key roles in mouse development. Foxc1 mutant mice develop duplex kidneys with double ureters, and lack calvarial and sternal bones. Foxc2 null mice have been reported to have glomerular abnormalities in the kidney and axial skeletal anomalies. Expression patterns of Foxc1 and Foxc2 overlap extensively and are believed to have interactive roles. However, cooperative roles of these factors in glomerular and skeletal development are unknown. Therefore, we examined the kidneys and skeleton of mice that were double heterozygous for Foxc1 and Foxc2. Double heterozygotes were generated by mating single heterozygotes for Foxc1 and Foxc2. Newborn double heterozygous mice showed many anomalies in the kidney and urinary tract resembling Foxc1 phenotypes, including duplex kidneys, double ureters, hydronephrosis and mega-ureter. Some mice had hydronephrosis alone. In addition to these macroscopic anomalies, some mice had abnormal glomeruli and disorganized glomerular capillaries observed in Foxc2 phenotypes. Interestingly, these mice also showed glomerular cysts not observed in the single-gene knockout of either Foxc1 or Foxc2 but observed in conditional knockout of Foxc2 in the kidney. Serial section analysis revealed that all cystic glomeruli were connected to proximal tubules, precluding the possibility of atubular glomeruli resulting in cyst formation. Dorsally opened vertebral arches and malformations of sternal bones in the double heterozygotes were phenotypes similar to Foxc1 null mice. Absent or split vertebral bodies in the double heterozygotes were phenotypes similar to Foxc2 null mice, whilst hydrocephalus noted in the Foxc1 phenotype was not observed. Thus, Foxc1 and Foxc2 have a role in kidney and axial skeleton development. These transcription factors might interact in the regulation of the embryogenesis of these organs.
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26
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Wang L, Siegenthaler JA, Dowell RD, Yi R. Foxc1 reinforces quiescence in self-renewing hair follicle stem cells. Science 2016; 351:613-7. [PMID: 26912704 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad5440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell quiescence preserves the cell reservoir by minimizing cell division over extended periods of time. Self-renewal of quiescent stem cells (SCs) requires the reentry into the cell cycle. In this study, we show that murine hair follicle SCs induce the Foxc1 transcription factor when activated. Deleting Foxc1 in activated, but not quiescent, SCs causes failure of the cells to reestablish quiescence and allows premature activation. Deleting Foxc1 in the SC niche of gene-targeted mice leads to loss of the old hair without impairing quiescence. In self-renewing SCs, Foxc1 activates Nfatc1 and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, two key mechanisms that govern quiescence. These findings reveal a dynamic, cell-intrinsic mechanism used by hair follicle SCs to reinforce quiescence upon self-renewal and suggest a unique ability of SCs to maintain cell identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Julie A Siegenthaler
- Department of Pediatrics, Denver-Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Robin D Dowell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Rui Yi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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FOXC1 maintains the hair follicle stem cell niche and governs stem cell quiescence to preserve long-term tissue-regenerating potential. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E1506-15. [PMID: 26912458 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1601569113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult tissue stem cells (SCs) reside in niches, which orchestrate SC behavior. SCs are typically used sparingly and exist in quiescence unless activated for tissue growth. Whether parsimonious SC use is essential to conserve long-term tissue-regenerating potential during normal homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here, we examine this issue by conditionally ablating a key transcription factor Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) expressed in hair follicle SCs (HFSCs). FOXC1-deficient HFSCs spend less time in quiescence, leading to markedly shortened resting periods between hair cycles. The enhanced hair cycling accelerates HFSC expenditure, and impacts hair regeneration in aging mice. Interestingly, although FOXC1-deficient HFs can still form a new bulge that houses HFSCs for the next hair cycle, the older bulge is left unanchored. As the new hair emerges, the entire old bulge, including its reserve HFSCs and SC-inhibitory inner cell layer, is lost. We trace this mechanism first, to a marked increase in cell cycle-associated transcripts upon Foxc1 ablation, and second, to a downstream reduction in E-cadherin-mediated inter-SC adhesion. Finally, we show that when the old bulge is lost with each hair cycle, overall levels of SC-inhibitory factors are reduced, further lowering the threshold for HFSC activity. Taken together, our findings suggest that HFSCs have restricted potential in vivo, which they conserve by coupling quiescence to adhesion-mediated niche maintenance, thereby achieving long-term tissue homeostasis.
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28
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Mayeuf-Louchart A, Montarras D, Bodin C, Kume T, Vincent SD, Buckingham M. Endothelial cell specification in the somite is compromised in Pax3-positive progenitors of Foxc1/2 conditional mutants, with loss of forelimb myogenesis. Development 2016; 143:872-9. [PMID: 26839363 DOI: 10.1242/dev.128017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pax3 and Foxc2 have been shown genetically to mutually repress each other in the mouse somite. Perturbation of this balance in multipotent cells of the dermomyotome influences cell fate; upregulation of Foxc2 favours a vascular fate, whereas higher levels of Pax3 lead to myogenesis. Foxc1 has overlapping functions with Foxc2. In Foxc1/2 double-mutant embryos, somitogenesis is severely affected, precluding analysis of somite derivatives. We have adopted a conditional approach whereby mutations in Foxc1 and Foxc2 genes were targeted to Pax3-expressing cells. Inclusion of a conditional reporter allele in the crosses made it possible to follow cells that had expressed Pax3. At the forelimb level, endothelial and myogenic cells migrate from adjacent somites into the limb bud. This population of endothelial cells is compromised in the double mutant, whereas excessive production of myogenic cells is observed in the trunk. However, strikingly, myogenic progenitors fail to enter the limbs, leading to the absence of skeletal muscle. Pax3-positive migratory myogenic progenitors, marked by expression of Lbx1, are specified in the somite at forelimb level, but endothelial progenitors are absent. The myogenic progenitors do not die, but differentiate prematurely adjacent to the somite. We conclude that the small proportion of somite-derived endothelial cells in the limb is required for the migration of myogenic limb progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Mayeuf-Louchart
- CNRS UMR 3738, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - Didier Montarras
- CNRS UMR 3738, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - Catherine Bodin
- CNRS UMR 3738, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Stéphane D Vincent
- CNRS UMR 3738, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - Margaret Buckingham
- CNRS UMR 3738, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
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Conditional knockout of Foxc2 gene in kidney: efficient generation of conditional alleles of single-exon gene by double-selection system. Mamm Genome 2015; 27:62-9. [PMID: 26542959 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-015-9610-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Foxc2 is a single-exon gene and a key regulator in development of multiple organs, including kidney. To avoid embryonic lethality of conventional Foxc2 knockout mice, we conditionally deleted Foxc2 in kidneys. Conditional targeting of a single-exon gene involves the large floxed gene segment spanning from promoter region to coding region to avoid functional disruption of the gene by the insertion of a loxP site. Therefore, in ES cell clones surviving a conventional single-selection, e.g., neomycin-resistant gene (neo) alone, homologous recombination between the long floxed segment and target genome results in a high incidence of having only one loxP site adjacent to the selection marker. To avoid this limitation, we employed a double-selection system. We generated a Foxc2 targeting construct in which a floxed segment contained 4.6 kb mouse genome and two different selection marker genes, zeocin-resistant gene and neo, that were placed adjacent to each loxP site. After double-selection by zeocin and neomycin, 72 surviving clones were screened that yielded three correctly targeted clones. After floxed Foxc2 mice were generated by tetraploid complementation, we removed the two selection marker genes by a simultaneous-single microinjection of expression vectors for Dre and Flp recombinases into in vitro-fertilized eggs. To delete Foxc2 in mouse kidneys, floxed Foxc2 mice were mated with Pax2-Cre mice. Newborn Pax2-Cre; Foxc2(loxP/loxP) mice showed kidney hypoplasia and glomerular cysts. These results indicate the feasibility of generating floxed Foxc2 mice by double-selection system and simultaneous removal of selection markers with a single microinjection.
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30
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Burger NB, Bekker MN, de Groot CJM, Christoffels VM, Haak MC. Why increased nuchal translucency is associated with congenital heart disease: a systematic review on genetic mechanisms. Prenat Diagn 2015; 35:517-28. [DOI: 10.1002/pd.4586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole B. Burger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Mireille N. Bekker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Radboud University Medical Center; Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | | | - Vincent M. Christoffels
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology & Physiology; Academic Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Monique C. Haak
- Department of Obstetrics; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden The Netherlands
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31
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Foxc1 is a critical regulator of haematopoietic stem/progenitor cell niche formation. Nature 2014; 508:536-40. [DOI: 10.1038/nature13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Sizemore GM, Sizemore ST, Pal B, Booth CN, Seachrist DD, Abdul-Karim FW, Kume T, Keri RA. FOXC1 is enriched in the mammary luminal progenitor population, but is not necessary for mouse mammary ductal morphogenesis. Biol Reprod 2013; 89:10. [PMID: 23677979 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.108001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression of FOXC1, a forkhead box transcription factor, correlates with the human basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) subtype, and functional analyses have revealed its importance for in vitro invasiveness of BLBC cells. Women diagnosed with this breast tumor subtype have a poorer outcome because of the lack of targeted therapies; thus, continued investigation of factors driving these tumors is critical to uncover novel therapeutic targets. Several processes that dictate normal mammary morphogenesis parallel cancer progression, and enforced expression of FOXC1 can induce a progenitor state in more-differentiated mammary epithelial cells. Consequently, evaluating how FOXC1 functions in the normal gland is critical to further understand BLBC biology. Although FOXC1 is well known to control normal development of a number of tissues, its role in the mammary gland has not yet been investigated. Herein, we describe FOXC1 expression patterning in the normal breast, where it is localized to the basal/myoepithelium, suggesting that FOXC1 would be required for normal development. However, mammary glands lacking Foxc1 have no overt defect in ductal outgrowth, alveologenesis, or lineage specification. Of significant interest, we found that expression of FOXC1 is enriched in the normal luminal progenitor population, which is the postulated cell of origin of BLBC. These results indicate that FOXC1 is unnecessary for mammary morphogenesis and that its role in BLBC likely involves processes that are unrelated to cell lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M Sizemore
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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33
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Siegenthaler JA, Choe Y, Patterson KP, Hsieh I, Li D, Jaminet SC, Daneman R, Kume T, Huang EJ, Pleasure SJ. Foxc1 is required by pericytes during fetal brain angiogenesis. Biol Open 2013; 2:647-59. [PMID: 23862012 PMCID: PMC3711032 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20135009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain pericytes play a critical role in blood vessel stability and blood-brain barrier maturation. Despite this, how brain pericytes function in these different capacities is only beginning to be understood. Here we show that the forkhead transcription factor Foxc1 is expressed by brain pericytes during development and is critical for pericyte regulation of vascular development in the fetal brain. Conditional deletion of Foxc1 from pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells leads to late-gestation cerebral micro-hemorrhages as well as pericyte and endothelial cell hyperplasia due to increased proliferation of both cell types. Conditional Foxc1 mutants do not have widespread defects in BBB maturation, though focal breakdown of BBB integrity is observed in large, dysplastic vessels. qPCR profiling of brain microvessels isolated from conditional mutants showed alterations in pericyte-expressed proteoglycans while other genes previously implicated in pericyte-endothelial cell interactions were unchanged. Collectively these data point towards an important role for Foxc1 in certain brain pericyte functions (e.g. vessel morphogenesis) but not others (e.g. barriergenesis).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Siegenthaler
- Department of Neurology, Programs in Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, UC San Francisco , San Francisco, CA 94158 , USA ; Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Denver-Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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Sun J, Ishii M, Ting MC, Maxson R. Foxc1 controls the growth of the murine frontal bone rudiment by direct regulation of a Bmp response threshold of Msx2. Development 2013; 140:1034-44. [PMID: 23344708 DOI: 10.1242/dev.085225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian skull vault consists of several intricately patterned bones that grow in close coordination. The growth of these bones depends on the precise regulation of the migration and differentiation of osteogenic cells from undifferentiated precursor cells located above the eye. Here, we demonstrate a role for Foxc1 in modulating the influence of Bmp signaling on the expression of Msx2 and the specification of these cells. Inactivation of Foxc1 results in a dramatic reduction in skull vault growth and causes an expansion of Msx2 expression and Bmp signaling into the area occupied by undifferentiated precursor cells. Foxc1 interacts directly with a Bmp responsive element in an enhancer upstream of Msx2, and acts to reduce the occupancy of P-Smad1/5/8. We propose that Foxc1 sets a threshold for the Bmp-dependent activation of Msx2, thus controlling the differentiation of osteogenic precursor cells and the rate and pattern of calvarial bone development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Norris Cancer Hospital, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9176, USA
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Koo HY, Kume T. FoxC1-dependent regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor signaling in corneal avascularity. Trends Cardiovasc Med 2012; 23:1-4. [PMID: 22939989 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcm.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is a crucial process whereby new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels, and it occurs under both normal and pathophysiological conditions. The process is precisely regulated through the balance between proangiogenic and anti-angiogenic mechanisms, and many of these mechanisms have been well-characterized through extensive research. However, little is known about how angiogenesis is regulated at the transcriptional level. We have recently shown that deletion of the Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factor Foxc1 in cells of neural crest (NC) lineage leads to aberrant vessel growth in the normally avascular corneas of mice, and that the effect is cell type-specific because the corneas of mice lacking Foxc1 expression in vascular endothelial cells remained avascular. The NC-specific Foxc1 deletion was also associated with elevated levels of both proangiogenic factors, such as the matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-19 and the angiogenic inhibitor soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (sVEGFR-1). Thus, FoxC1 appears to control angiogenesis by regulating two distinct and opposing mechanisms; if so, vascular development could be determined, at least in part, by a competitive balance between proangiogenic and anti-angiogenic FoxC1-regulated pathways. In this review, we describe the mechanisms by which FoxC1 regulates vessel growth and discuss how these observations could contribute to a more complete understanding of the role of FoxC1 in pathological angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Young Koo
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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