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Goes CP, Botezelli VS, De La Cruz SM, Cruz MC, Azambuja AP, Simoes-Costa M, Yan CYI. ASCL1 promotes Scrt2 expression in the neural tube. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1324584. [PMID: 38655067 PMCID: PMC11036302 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1324584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
ASCL1 is a transcription factor that directs neural progenitors towards lineage differentiation. Although many of the molecular mechanisms underlying its action have been described, several of its targets remain unidentified. We identified in the chick genome a putative enhancer (cE1) upstream of the transcription factor Scratch2 (Scrt2) locus with a predicted heterodimerization motif for ASCL1 and POU3F2. In this study, we investigated the role of ASCL1 and this enhancer in regulating the expression of the Scrt2 in the embryonic spinal cord. We confirmed that cE1 region interacted with the Scrt2 promoter. cE1 was sufficient to mediate ASCL1-driven expression in the neural tube through the heterodimerization sites. Moreover, Scrt2 expression was inhibited when we removed cE1 from the genome. These findings strongly indicate that ASCL1 regulates Scrt2 transcription in the neural tube through cE1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Purcell Goes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vitória Samartin Botezelli
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Shirley Mirna De La Cruz
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
| | - Mário Costa Cruz
- Core Research Facilities (CEFAP), Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Azambuja
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Department of Systems Biology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Marcos Simoes-Costa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Department of Systems Biology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Chao Yun Irene Yan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Goes CP, Vieceli FM, De La Cruz SM, Simões-Costa M, Yan CYI. Scratch2, a Snail Superfamily Member, Is Regulated by miR-125b. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:769. [PMID: 32984310 PMCID: PMC7477046 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00769] [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: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Scratch2 is a transcription factor expressed in a very restricted population of vertebrate embryonic neural cell precursors involved in their survival, differentiation, and migration. The mechanisms that control its expression remain unknown and could contribute towards our understanding of gene regulation during neural differentiation and evolution. Here we investigate the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the Scrt2 post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism. We identified binding sites for miR-125b and -200b in the Scrt2 3′UTR in silico. We confirmed the repressive-mediated activity of the Scrt2 3′UTR through electroporation of luciferase constructs into chick embryos. Further, both CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of miR-125b/-200b responsive elements from chicken Scrt2 3′UTR and expression of miRNAs sponges increased Scrt2 expression field, suggesting a role for these miRNAs as post-transcriptional regulators of Scrt2. The biological effect of miR-125b titration was much more pronounced than that of miR-200b. Therefore, we propose that, after transcription, miR-125b fine-tunes the Scrt2 expression domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Purcell Goes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Felipe Monteleone Vieceli
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Shirley Mirna De La Cruz
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Simões-Costa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Chao Yun Irene Yan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Martyn I, Kanno TY, Brivanlou AH. Chick Models and Human-Chick Organizer Grafts. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2005:77-89. [PMID: 31175647 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9524-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The combination of affordability, large size, and ease of access at almost every stage of development renders the chick an excellent model organism for studying vertebrate development. Not only is it a great system in and of itself, but these qualities make it a great host for interspecies chimera experiments. In this chapter we highlight some notable examples of mammalian-chick chimeras, and show how one can for instance use the chick to push mammalian stem cell experiments further to learn about the behavior and capabilities of these cells in vivo. In particular, here we present the methodology necessary for transplantation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived "gastruloids" stimulated to generate a human organizer into the chick embryo. In these human-chick chimeras, the human organizer cells self-organize to contribute directly to notochord-like tissue and indirectly induce host chick cells to generate neural tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Martyn
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tatiane Y Kanno
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Martyn I, Kanno TY, Ruzo A, Siggia ED, Brivanlou AH. Self-organization of a human organizer by combined Wnt and Nodal signalling. Nature 2018; 558:132-135. [PMID: 29795348 PMCID: PMC6077985 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0150-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In amniotes, the development of the primitive streak (PS) and its accompanying “organizer” define the first stages of gastrulation. Despite detailed characterization in model organisms, the analogous human structures remain a mystery. We have previously shown that when stimulated with BMP4, micropatterned colonies of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) self-organize to generate early embryonic germ layers1. Here we show that in the same type of colonies WNT signalling is sufficient to induce a PS, and WNT with ACTIVIN is sufficient to induce an organizer, as characterized by embryo-like sharp boundary formation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, and expression of the organizer specific transcription factor GSC. Moreover, when grafted into chick embryos, WNT and ACTIVIN treated human cells induce and contribute autonomously to a secondary axis while inducing neural fate in the host. This fulfills the most stringent functional criteria for an organizer, and its discovery represents a major milestone in human embryology.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Martyn
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - T Y Kanno
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - A Ruzo
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - E D Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - A H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Ramat A, Audibert A, Louvet-Vallée S, Simon F, Fichelson P, Gho M. Escargot and Scratch regulate neural commitment by antagonizing Notch activity in Drosophila sensory organs. Development 2016; 143:3024-34. [PMID: 27471258 DOI: 10.1242/dev.134387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
During Notch (N)-mediated binary cell fate decisions, cells adopt two different fates according to the levels of N pathway activation: an Noff-dependent or an Non-dependent fate. How cells maintain these N activity levels over time remains largely unknown. We address this question in the cell lineage that gives rise to the Drosophila mechanosensory organs. In this lineage a primary precursor cell undergoes a stereotyped sequence of oriented asymmetric cell divisions and transits through two neural precursor states before acquiring a neuron identity. Using a combination of genetic and cell biology strategies, we show that Escargot and Scratch, two transcription factors belonging to the Snail superfamily, maintain Noff neural commitment by directly blocking the transcription of N target genes. We propose that Snail factors act by displacing proneural transcription activators from DNA binding sites. As such, Snail factors maintain the Noff state in neural precursor cells by buffering any ectopic variation in the level of N activity. Since Escargot and Scratch orthologs are present in other precursor cells, our findings are fundamental for understanding precursor cell fate acquisition in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Ramat
- CNRS, UMR 7622, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, IBPS, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Agnès Audibert
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, UMR7622, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Sophie Louvet-Vallée
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, UMR7622, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Françoise Simon
- CNRS, UMR 7622, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, IBPS, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Pierre Fichelson
- CNRS, UMR 7622, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, IBPS, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Michel Gho
- CNRS, UMR 7622, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, IBPS, Paris F-75005, France
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Vieceli FM, Yan CYI. RNA-Seq analysis of differential gene expression in electroporated chick embryonic spinal cord. J Vis Exp 2014:e51951. [PMID: 25406837 DOI: 10.3791/51951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In ovo electroporation of the chick neural tube is a fast and inexpensive method for identification of gene function during neural development. Genome wide analysis of differentially expressed transcripts after such an experimental manipulation has the potential to uncover an almost complete picture of the downstream effects caused by the transfected construct. This work describes a simple method for comparing transcriptomes from samples of transfected embryonic spinal cords comprising all steps between electroporation and identification of differentially expressed transcripts. The first stage consists of guidelines for electroporation and instructions for dissection of transfected spinal cord halves from HH23 embryos in ribonuclease-free environment and extraction of high-quality RNA samples suitable for transcriptome sequencing. The next stage is that of bioinformatic analysis with general guidelines for filtering and comparison of RNA-Seq datasets in the Galaxy public server, which eliminates the need of a local computational structure for small to medium scale experiments. The representative results show that the dissection methods generate high quality RNA samples and that the transcriptomes obtained from two control samples are essentially the same, an important requirement for detection of differential expression genes in experimental samples. Furthermore, one example is provided where experimental overexpression of a DNA construct can be visually verified after comparison with control samples. The application of this method may be a powerful tool to facilitate new discoveries on the function of neural factors involved in spinal cord early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe M Vieceli
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Universidade de São Paulo;
| | - C Y Irene Yan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Universidade de São Paulo
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