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Ventrella R, Kim SK, Sheridan J, Grata A, Bresteau E, Hassan OA, Suva EE, Walentek P, Mitchell BJ. Bidirectional multiciliated cell extrusion is controlled by Notch-driven basal extrusion and Piezo1-driven apical extrusion. Development 2023; 150:dev201612. [PMID: 37602491 PMCID: PMC10482390 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201612] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Xenopus embryos are covered with a complex epithelium containing numerous multiciliated cells (MCCs). During late-stage development, there is a dramatic remodeling of the epithelium that involves the complete loss of MCCs. Cell extrusion is a well-characterized process for driving cell loss while maintaining epithelial barrier function. Normal cell extrusion is typically unidirectional, whereas bidirectional extrusion is often associated with disease (e.g. cancer). We describe two distinct mechanisms for MCC extrusion, a basal extrusion driven by Notch signaling and an apical extrusion driven by Piezo1. Early in the process there is a strong bias towards basal extrusion, but as development continues there is a shift towards apical extrusion. Importantly, response to the Notch signal is age dependent and governed by the maintenance of the MCC transcriptional program such that extension of this program is protective against cell loss. In contrast, later apical extrusion is regulated by Piezo1, such that premature activation of Piezo1 leads to early extrusion while blocking Piezo1 leads to MCC maintenance. Distinct mechanisms for MCC loss underlie the importance of their removal during epithelial remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Ventrella
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Precision Medicine Program, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA
| | - Sun K. Kim
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jennifer Sheridan
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Aline Grata
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Enzo Bresteau
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Osama A. Hassan
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Eve E. Suva
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Peter Walentek
- University of Freiburg, Renal Division, Internal Medicine IV, Medical Center and CIBSS Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Brian J. Mitchell
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Northwestern University, Lurie Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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2
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Ventrella R, Kim SK, Sheridan J, Grata A, Bresteau E, Hassan O, Suva EE, Walentek P, Mitchell B. Bidirectional multiciliated cell extrusion is controlled by Notch driven basal extrusion and Piezo 1 driven apical extrusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.12.523838. [PMID: 36711534 PMCID: PMC9882179 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.12.523838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Xenopus embryos are covered with a complex epithelium containing numerous multiciliated cells (MCCs). During late stage development there is a dramatic remodeling of the epithelium that involves the complete loss of MCCs. Cell extrusion is a well-characterized process for driving cell loss while maintaining epithelial barrier function. Normal cell extrusion is typically unidirectional whereas bidirectional extrusion is often associated with disease (e.g. cancer). We describe two distinct mechanisms for MCC extrusion, a basal extrusion driven by Notch signaling and an apical extrusion driven by Piezo1. Early in the process there is a strong bias towards basal extrusion, but as development continues there is a shift towards apical extrusion. Importantly, receptivity to the Notch signal is age-dependent and governed by the maintenance of the MCC transcriptional program such that extension of this program is protective against cell loss. In contrast, later apical extrusion is regulated by Piezo 1 such that premature activation of Piezo 1 leads to early extrusion while blocking Piezo 1 leads to MCC maintenance. Distinct mechansms for MCC loss underlie the importance of their removal during epithelial remodeling. Summay Statement Cell extrusion typically occurs unidirectionally. We have identified a single population of multiciliated cells that extrudes bidirectionally: Notch-driven basal extrusion and Piezo 1-mediated apical extrusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Ventrella
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Current position; Assistant professor, Precision Medicine Program, Midwestern University
| | - Sun K. Kim
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Jennifer Sheridan
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Aline Grata
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Enzo Bresteau
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Osama Hassan
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Eve E. Suva
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Peter Walentek
- University of Freiburg, Renal Division, Internal Medicine IV, Medical Center and CIBSS Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies
| | - Brian Mitchell
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Northwestern University, Lurie Cancer Center
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3
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Wang J, Lu C, Wei S. Whole-genome sequencing identifies I-SceI-mediated transgene integration sites in Xenopus tropicalis snai2:eGFP line. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac037. [PMID: 35171990 PMCID: PMC9073676 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Transgenesis with the meganuclease I-SceI is a safe and efficient method, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear due to the lack of information on transgene localization. Using I-SceI, we previously developed a transgenic Xenopus tropicalis line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein driven by the neural crest-specific snai2 promoter/enhancer, which is a powerful tool for studying neural crest development and craniofacial morphogenesis. Here, we carried out whole-genome shotgun sequencing for the snai2:eGFP embryos to identify the transgene integration sites. With a 19x sequencing coverage, we estimated that 6 copies of the transgene were inserted into the Xenopus tropicalis genome in the hemizygous transgenic embryos. Two transgene integration loci adjacent to each other were identified in a noncoding region on chromosome 1, possibly as a result of duplication after a single transgene insertion. Interestingly, genomic DNA at the boundaries of the transgene integration loci contains short sequences homologous to the I-SceI recognition site, suggesting that the integration was not random but probably mediated by sequence homology. To our knowledge, our work represents the first genome-wide sequencing study on a transgenic organism generated with I-SceI, which is useful for evaluating the potential genetic effects of I-SceI-mediated transgenesis and further understanding the mechanisms underlying this transgenic method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Congyu Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Shuo Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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4
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Eroshkin FM, Kremnev SV, Ermakova GV, Zaraisky AG. Development of Methods and Techniques to Visualize Mechanical Tension in Embryos Using Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Mechanosensors. Russ J Dev Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360418060024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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5
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Edholm ES, Robert J. RNAi-Mediated Loss of Function of Xenopus Immune Genes by Transgenesis. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2018; 2018:pdb.prot101519. [PMID: 29382811 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot101519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Generation of transgenic frogs through the stable integration of foreign DNA into the genome is well established in Xenopus This protocol describes the combination of transgenesis with stable RNA interference as an efficient reverse genetic approach to study gene function in Xenopus Initially developed in the fish medaka and later adapted to Xenopus, this transgenic method uses the I-SceI meganuclease, a "rare-cutter" endonuclease with an 18 bp recognition sequence. In this protocol, transgenic X. laevis with knocked down expression of a specific gene are generated using a double promoter expression cassette. This cassette, which is flanked by I-SceI recognition sites, contains the shRNA of choice under the control of the human U6 promoter and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene under the control of the human EF-1α promoter. Prior to microinjection the plasmid is linearized by digestion with I-SceI and the entire reaction is then microinjected into one-cell stage eggs. The highly stringent recognition sequence of I-SceI is thought to maintain the linearized plasmid in a nonconcatamerized state, which promotes random integration of the plasmid transgene in the genome. The injected embryos are reared until larval stage 56 and then screened for GFP expression by fluorescence microscopy and assessed for effective knockdown by quantitative RT-PCR using a tail biopsy. Typically, the I-SceI meganuclease transgenesis technique results in 35%-50% transgenesis efficiency, a high survival rate (>35%) and bright nonmosaic GFP expression. A key advantage of this technique is that the high efficiency and nonmosaic transgene expression permit the direct use of F0 animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Stina Edholm
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14620
| | - Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14620
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6
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Chun YW, Durbin MD, Hong CC. Genome Editing and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technologies for Personalized Study of Cardiovascular Diseases. Curr Cardiol Rep 2018; 20:38. [PMID: 29666931 PMCID: PMC6204334 DOI: 10.1007/s11886-018-0984-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The goal of this review is to highlight the potential of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based modeling as a tool for studying human cardiovascular diseases. We present some of the current cardiovascular disease models utilizing genome editing and patient-derived iPSCs. RECENT FINDINGS The incorporation of genome-editing and iPSC technologies provides an innovative research platform, providing novel insight into human cardiovascular disease at molecular, cellular, and functional level. In addition, genome editing in diseased iPSC lines holds potential for personalized regenerative therapies. The study of human cardiovascular disease has been revolutionized by cellular reprogramming and genome editing discoveries. These exceptional technologies provide an opportunity to generate human cell cardiovascular disease models and enable therapeutic strategy development in a dish. We anticipate these technologies to improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease pathophysiology leading to optimal treatment for heart diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Wook Chun
- Departments of Medicine - Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2220 Pierce Avenue, PRB 383, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Matthew D Durbin
- Department of Pediatrics - Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Charles C Hong
- Departments of Medicine - Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2220 Pierce Avenue, PRB 383, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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7
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Buchholz DR. Xenopus metamorphosis as a model to study thyroid hormone receptor function during vertebrate developmental transitions. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2017; 459:64-70. [PMID: 28363743 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A hormone-dependent developmental transition from aquatic to terrestrial existence occurs in all tetrapod vertebrates, such as birth, hatching, and metamorphosis. Thyroid hormones (TH) and their receptors (TRs) are key players in the tissue transformations comprising vertebrate developmental transitions. The African clawed frog, Xenopus, is a premier model for the role of TRs in developmental transitions because of the numerous and dramatic TH-dependent tissue transformations during metamorphosis and because of the endocrine, molecular, and genomic resources available. TRs are nuclear receptors that repress TH-response genes when plasma TH is minimal and that activate those same genes to induce tissue-specific gene regulation cascades when TH plasma levels increase. Tissue-specific TR expression levels help determine tissue sensitivity and responsivity to TH thereby regulating the initiation and rate of developmental change in TH-sensitive tissues which govern the tissue developmental asynchrony observed during metamorphosis. This review highlighting Xenopus presents the key experimental findings underpinning the roles TRs play in control of vertebrate developmental transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Buchholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 312 Clifton Ct., Cincinnati, OH, 45221 USA.
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8
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Renfer E, Technau U. Meganuclease-assisted generation of stable transgenics in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Nat Protoc 2017; 12:1844-1854. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2017.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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9
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Tandon P, Conlon F, Furlow JD, Horb ME. Expanding the genetic toolkit in Xenopus: Approaches and opportunities for human disease modeling. Dev Biol 2017; 426:325-335. [PMID: 27109192 PMCID: PMC5074924 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The amphibian model Xenopus, has been used extensively over the past century to study multiple aspects of cell and developmental biology. Xenopus offers advantages of a non-mammalian system, including high fecundity, external development, and simple housing requirements, with additional advantages of large embryos, highly conserved developmental processes, and close evolutionary relationship to higher vertebrates. There are two main species of Xenopus used in biomedical research, Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis; the common perception is that both species are excellent models for embryological and cell biological studies, but only Xenopus tropicalis is useful as a genetic model. The recent completion of the Xenopus laevis genome sequence combined with implementation of genome editing tools, such as TALENs (transcription activator-like effector nucleases) and CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated nucleases), greatly facilitates the use of both Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis for understanding gene function in development and disease. In this paper, we review recent advances made in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis with TALENs and CRISPR-Cas and discuss the various approaches that have been used to generate knockout and knock-in animals in both species. These advances show that both Xenopus species are useful for genetic approaches and in particular counters the notion that Xenopus laevis is not amenable to genetic manipulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panna Tandon
- University of North Carolina McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, United States.
| | - Frank Conlon
- University of North Carolina McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, United States
| | - J David Furlow
- Deparment of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Marko E Horb
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States.
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10
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Stooke-Vaughan GA, Davidson LA, Woolner S. Xenopus as a model for studies in mechanical stress and cell division. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28095623 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We exist in a physical world, and cells within biological tissues must respond appropriately to both environmental forces and forces generated within the tissue to ensure normal development and homeostasis. Cell division is required for normal tissue growth and maintenance, but both the direction and rate of cell division must be tightly controlled to avoid diseases of over-proliferation such as cancer. Recent studies have shown that mechanical cues can cause mitotic entry and orient the mitotic spindle, suggesting that physical force could play a role in patterning tissue growth. However, to fully understand how mechanics guides cells in vivo, it is necessary to assess the interaction of mechanical strain and cell division in a whole tissue context. In this mini-review we first summarise the body of work linking mechanics and cell division, before looking at the advantages that the Xenopus embryo can offer as a model organism for understanding: (1) the mechanical environment during embryogenesis, and (2) factors important for cell division. Finally, we introduce a novel method for applying a reproducible strain to Xenopus embryonic tissue and assessing subsequent cell divisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina A Stooke-Vaughan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213.,Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213.,Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - Sarah Woolner
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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11
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Sachs LM, Buchholz DR. Frogs model man: In vivo thyroid hormone signaling during development. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28109053 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling comprises TH transport across cell membranes, metabolism by deiodinases, and molecular mechanisms of gene regulation. Proper TH signaling is essential for normal perinatal development, most notably for neurogenesis and fetal growth. Knowledge of perinatal TH endocrinology needs improvement to provide better treatments for premature infants and endocrine diseases during gestation and to counteract effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Studies in amphibians have provided major insights to understand in vivo mechanisms of TH signaling. The frog model boasts dramatic TH-dependent changes directly observable in free-living tadpoles with precise and easy experimental control of the TH response at developmental stages comparable to fetal stages in mammals. The hormones, their receptors, molecular mechanisms, and developmental roles of TH signaling are conserved to a high degree in humans and amphibians, such that with respect to developmental TH signaling "frogs are just little people that hop." The frog model is exceptionally illustrative of fundamental molecular mechanisms of in vivo TH action involving TH receptors, transcriptional cofactors, and chromatin remodeling. This review highlights the current need, recent successes, and future prospects using amphibians as a model to elucidate molecular mechanisms and functional roles of TH signaling during post-embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent M Sachs
- UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'histoire Naturelle, Dépt. Régulation, Développement et Diversité Moléculaire, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Daniel R Buchholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45221
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12
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Juárez-Morales JL, Martinez-De Luna RI, Zuber ME, Roberts A, Lewis KE. Zebrafish transgenic constructs label specific neurons in Xenopus laevis spinal cord and identify frog V0v spinal neurons. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1007-1020. [PMID: 28188691 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A correctly functioning spinal cord is crucial for locomotion and communication between body and brain but there are fundamental gaps in our knowledge of how spinal neuronal circuitry is established and functions. To understand the genetic program that regulates specification and functions of this circuitry, we need to connect neuronal molecular phenotypes with physiological analyses. Studies using Xenopus laevis tadpoles have increased our understanding of spinal cord neuronal physiology and function, particularly in locomotor circuitry. However, the X. laevis tetraploid genome and long generation time make it difficult to investigate how neurons are specified. The opacity of X. laevis embryos also makes it hard to connect functional classes of neurons and the genes that they express. We demonstrate here that Tol2 transgenic constructs using zebrafish enhancers that drive expression in specific zebrafish spinal neurons label equivalent neurons in X. laevis and that the incorporation of a Gal4:UAS amplification cassette enables cells to be observed in live X. laevis tadpoles. This technique should enable the molecular phenotypes, morphologies and physiologies of distinct X. laevis spinal neurons to be examined together in vivo. We have used an islet1 enhancer to label Rohon-Beard sensory neurons and evx enhancers to identify V0v neurons, for the first time, in X. laevis spinal cord. Our work demonstrates the homology of spinal cord circuitry in zebrafish and X. laevis, suggesting that future work could combine their relative strengths to elucidate a more complete picture of how vertebrate spinal cord neurons are specified, and function to generate behavior. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1007-1020, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Juárez-Morales
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, New York, 13244.,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, United Kingdom
| | - Reyna I Martinez-De Luna
- The Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Institute for Human Performance, 505 Irving Ave. Syracuse, New York, 13210
| | - Michael E Zuber
- The Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Institute for Human Performance, 505 Irving Ave. Syracuse, New York, 13210
| | - Alan Roberts
- School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Katharine E Lewis
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, New York, 13244
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13
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Using Xenopus Embryos to Study Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Intermediate Filaments. Methods Enzymol 2016; 568:635-60. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
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14
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Wang C, Szaro BG. A method for using direct injection of plasmid DNA to study cis-regulatory element activity in F0 Xenopus embryos and tadpoles. Dev Biol 2014; 398:11-23. [PMID: 25448690 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The ability to express exogenous reporter genes in intact, externally developing embryos, such as Xenopus, is a powerful tool for characterizing the activity of cis-regulatory gene elements during development. Although methods exist for generating transgenic Xenopus lines, more simplified methods for use with F0 animals would significantly speed the characterization of these elements. We discovered that injecting 2-cell stage embryos with a plasmid bearing a ϕC31 integrase-targeted attB element and two dual β-globin HS4 insulators flanking a reporter transgene in opposite orientations relative to each other yielded persistent expression with sufficiently high penetrance for characterizing the activity of the promoter without having to coinject integrase RNA. Expression began appropriately during development and persisted into swimming tadpole stages without perturbing the expression of the cognate endogenous gene. Coinjected plasmids having the same elements but expressing different reporter proteins were reliably coexpressed within the same cells, providing a useful control for variations in injections between animals. To overcome the high propensity of these plasmids to undergo recombination, we developed a method for generating them using conventional cloning methods and DH5α cells for propagation. We conclude that this method offers a convenient and reliable way to evaluate the activity of cis-regulatory gene elements in the intact F0 embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
| | - Ben G Szaro
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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15
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Takagi C, Sakamaki K, Morita H, Hara Y, Suzuki M, Kinoshita N, Ueno N. Transgenic Xenopus laevis for live imaging in cell and developmental biology. Dev Growth Differ 2013; 55:422-33. [PMID: 23480392 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Revised: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The stable transgenesis of genes encoding functional or spatially localized proteins, fused to fluorescent proteins such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) or red fluorescent protein (RFP), is an extremely important research tool in cell and developmental biology. Transgenic organisms constructed with fluorescent labels for cell membranes, subcellular organelles, and functional proteins have been used to investigate cell cycles, lineages, shapes, and polarity, in live animals and in cells or tissues derived from these animals. Genes of interest have been integrated and maintained in generations of transgenic animals, which have become a valuable resource for the cell and developmental biology communities. Although the use of Xenopus laevis as a transgenic model organism has been hampered by its relatively long reproduction time (compared to Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans), its large embryonic cells and the ease of manipulation in early embryos have made it a historically valuable preparation that continues to have tremendous research potential. Here, we report on the Xenopus laevis transgenic lines our lab has generated and discuss their potential use in biological imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiyo Takagi
- National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
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16
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Love NR, Thuret R, Chen Y, Ishibashi S, Sabherwal N, Paredes R, Alves-Silva J, Dorey K, Noble AM, Guille MJ, Sasai Y, Papalopulu N, Amaya E. pTransgenesis: a cross-species, modular transgenesis resource. Development 2012; 138:5451-8. [PMID: 22110059 DOI: 10.1242/dev.066498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
As studies aim increasingly to understand key, evolutionarily conserved properties of biological systems, the ability to move transgenesis experiments efficiently between organisms becomes essential. DNA constructions used in transgenesis usually contain four elements, including sequences that facilitate transgene genome integration, a selectable marker and promoter elements driving a coding gene. Linking these four elements in a DNA construction, however, can be a rate-limiting step in the design and creation of transgenic organisms. In order to expedite the construction process and to facilitate cross-species collaborations, we have incorporated the four common elements of transgenesis into a modular, recombination-based cloning system called pTransgenesis. Within this framework, we created a library of useful coding sequences, such as various fluorescent protein, Gal4, Cre-recombinase and dominant-negative receptor constructs, which are designed to be coupled to modular, species-compatible selectable markers, promoters and transgenesis facilitation sequences. Using pTransgenesis in Xenopus, we demonstrate Gal4-UAS binary expression, Cre-loxP-mediated fate-mapping and the establishment of novel, tissue-specific transgenic lines. Importantly, we show that the pTransgenesis resource is also compatible with transgenesis in Drosophila, zebrafish and mammalian cell models. Thus, the pTransgenesis resource fosters a cross-model standardization of commonly used transgenesis elements, streamlines DNA construct creation and facilitates collaboration between researchers working on different model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick R Love
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
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