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Dai Z, Wang Z, Pan X, Zheng L, Xu Y, Qiao Q. Effects of triclosan adsorption on intestinal toxicity and resistance gene expression in Xenopus tropicalis with different particle sizes of polystyrene. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 146:176-185. [PMID: 38969446 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2023.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are commonly found with hydrophobic contaminants in the water column and pose a serious threat to aquatic organisms. The effects of polystyrene microplastics of different particle sizes on the accumulation of triclosan in the gut of Xenopus tropicalis, its toxic effects, and the transmission of resistance genes were evaluated. The results showed that co-exposure to polystyrene (PS-MPs) adsorbed with triclosan (TCS) caused the accumulation of triclosan in the intestine with the following accumulation capacity: TCS + 5 µm PS group > TCS group > TCS + 20 µm PS group > TCS + 0.1 µm PS group. All experimental groups showed increased intestinal inflammation and antioxidant enzyme activity after 28 days of exposure to PS-MPs and TCS of different particle sizes. The TCS + 20 µm PS group exhibited the highest upregulated expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-10, IL-1β). The TCS + 20 µm group showed the highest increase in enzyme activity compared to the control group. PS-MPs and TCS, either alone or together, altered the composition of the intestinal microbial community. In addition, the presence of more antibiotic resistance genes than triclosan resistance genes significantly increased the expression of tetracycline resistance and sulfonamide resistance genes, which may be associated with the development of intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress. This study refines the aquatic ecotoxicity assessment of TCS adsorbed by MPs and provides informative information for the management and control of microplastics and non-antibiotic bacterial inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Dai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zikai Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xinying Pan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Yanbin Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qingxia Qiao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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2
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Hou Y, Shang Y, Xu F, Li T, Li M, Wei L, Fan S, Hou W, Gou W, Shang H, Li Y. Ionizing radiation induces neurotoxicity in Xenopus laevis embryos through neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 256:119237. [PMID: 38810829 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) poses a significant threat to both the natural environment and biological health. Exposure to specific doses of ionizing radiation early in an organism's development can lead to developmental toxicity, particularly neurotoxicity. Through experimentation with Xenopus laevis (X. laevis), we examined the effects of radiation on early developmental stage. Our findings revealed that radiation led to developmental abnormalities and mortality in X. laevis embryos in a dose-dependent manner, disrupting redox homeostasis and inducing cell apoptosis. Additionally, radiation caused neurotoxic effects, resulting in abnormal behavior and neuron damage in the embryos. Further investigation into the underlying mechanisms of radiation-induced neurotoxicity indicated the potential involvement of the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway, which was supported by RNA-Seq analysis. Validation of gene expression associated with this pathway and analysis of neurotransmitter levels confirmed our hypothesis. In addition, we further validated the important role of this signaling pathway in radiation-induced neurotoxicity through edaravone rescue experiments. This research establishes a valuable model for radiation damage studying and provides some insight into radiation-induced neurotoxicity mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Yue Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Feifei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Tingyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling Wei
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510006, Guangzhou, China
| | - Saijun Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenbin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenfeng Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China.
| | - Haihua Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China.
| | - Yiliang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 300192, Tianjin, China.
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El Mir J, Nasrallah A, Thézé N, Cario M, Fayyad-Kazan H, Thiébaud P, Rezvani HR. Xenopus as a model system for studying pigmentation and pigmentary disorders. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2024. [PMID: 38849973 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Human pigmentary disorders encompass a broad spectrum of phenotypic changes arising from disruptions in various stages of melanocyte formation, the melanogenesis process, or the transfer of pigment from melanocytes to keratinocytes. A large number of pigmentation genes associated with pigmentary disorders have been identified, many of them awaiting in vivo confirmation. A more comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of pigmentary disorders requires a vertebrate animal model where changes in pigmentation are easily observable in vivo and can be combined to genomic modifications and gain/loss-of-function tools. Here we present the amphibian Xenopus with its unique features that fulfill these requirements. Changes in pigmentation are particularly easy to score in Xenopus embryos, allowing whole-organism based phenotypic screening. The development and behavior of Xenopus melanocytes closely mimic those observed in mammals. Interestingly, both Xenopus and mammalian skins exhibit comparable reactions to ultraviolet radiation. This review highlights how Xenopus constitutes an alternative and complementary model to the more commonly used mouse and zebrafish, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in melanocyte cell biology and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joudi El Mir
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, UMR 1312, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ali Nasrallah
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, UMR 1312, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nadine Thézé
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, UMR 1312, Bordeaux, France
| | - Muriel Cario
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, UMR 1312, Bordeaux, France
- Aquiderm, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hussein Fayyad-Kazan
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| | - Pierre Thiébaud
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, UMR 1312, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hamid-Reza Rezvani
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, UMR 1312, Bordeaux, France
- Aquiderm, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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Willsey HR, Seaby EG, Godwin A, Ennis S, Guille M, Grainger RM. Modelling human genetic disorders in Xenopus tropicalis. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050754. [PMID: 38832520 PMCID: PMC11179720 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050754] [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] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent progress in human disease genetics is leading to rapid advances in understanding pathobiological mechanisms. However, the sheer number of risk-conveying genetic variants being identified demands in vivo model systems that are amenable to functional analyses at scale. Here we provide a practical guide for using the diploid frog species Xenopus tropicalis to study many genes and variants to uncover conserved mechanisms of pathobiology relevant to human disease. We discuss key considerations in modelling human genetic disorders: genetic architecture, conservation, phenotyping strategy and rigour, as well as more complex topics, such as penetrance, expressivity, sex differences and current challenges in the field. As the patient-driven gene discovery field expands significantly, the cost-effective, rapid and higher throughput nature of Xenopus make it an essential member of the model organism armamentarium for understanding gene function in development and in relation to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94518, USA
| | - Eleanor G Seaby
- Genomic Informatics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Annie Godwin
- European Xenopus Resource Centre (EXRC), School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Sarah Ennis
- Genomic Informatics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Matthew Guille
- European Xenopus Resource Centre (EXRC), School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Robert M Grainger
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
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5
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Neal SJ, Rajasekaran A, Jusić N, Taylor L, Read M, Alfandari D, Pignoni F, Moody SA. Using Xenopus to discover new candidate genes involved in BOR and other congenital hearing loss syndromes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2024; 342:212-240. [PMID: 37830236 PMCID: PMC11014897 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Hearing in infants is essential for brain development, acquisition of verbal language skills, and development of social interactions. Therefore, it is important to diagnose hearing loss soon after birth so that interventions can be provided as early as possible. Most newborns in the United States are screened for hearing deficits and commercially available next-generation sequencing hearing loss panels often can identify the causative gene, which may also identify congenital defects in other organs. One of the most prevalent autosomal dominant congenital hearing loss syndromes is branchio-oto-renal syndrome (BOR), which also presents with defects in craniofacial structures and the kidney. Currently, mutations in three genes, SIX1, SIX5, and EYA1, are known to be causative in about half of the BOR patients that have been tested. To uncover new candidate genes that could be added to congenital hearing loss genetic screens, we have combined the power of Drosophila mutants and protein biochemical assays with the embryological advantages of Xenopus, a key aquatic animal model with a high level of genomic similarity to human, to identify potential Six1 transcriptional targets and interacting proteins that play a role during otic development. We review our transcriptomic, yeast 2-hybrid, and proteomic approaches that have revealed a large number of new candidates. We also discuss how we have begun to identify how Six1 and co-factors interact to direct developmental events necessary for normal otic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J. Neal
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Anindita Rajasekaran
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Nisveta Jusić
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Louis Taylor
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Mai Read
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Dominique Alfandari
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Francesca Pignoni
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Sally A. Moody
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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Arregui L, Koch JC, Tiersch TR. Transitioning from a research protocol to a scalable applied pathway for Xenopus laevis sperm cryopreservation at a national stock center: The effect of cryoprotectants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2024; 342:291-300. [PMID: 37984495 PMCID: PMC11094805 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Sperm cryopreservation is a critical tool for safeguarding and managing valuable genetic resources. Protocols for cryopreservation of Xenopus laevis sperm were available but lacking sperm quality evaluation and scalability and the outcomes were inconsistent. The goal of this study was to begin developing a center-level cryopreservation pathway for this species by integrating French straws as containers that would facilitate germplasm repository development. The objectives were to analyze the effect of: (1) three sperm concentrations (33, 50, and 100 × 106 sperm/mL) on post-thaw fertilization, (2) three final concentrations (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) of dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, and dimethylformamide (DMFA) on sperm membrane integrity of fresh and frozen samples, (3) two concentrations (5% and 10%) of DMFA with and without 5% sucrose at four cooling rates (5, 10, 20, and 40°C/min) on sperm membrane integrity and motility, and (4) egg exposure to different concentrations of DMFA on fertilization. Few differences in sperm viability were found among fresh samples incubated in cryoprotectants, but thawed samples frozen in methanol or DMFA presented higher membrane integrity. Samples frozen in 10% DMFA at 20°C/min showed higher membrane integrity (60 ± 7%) than other DMFA concentrations and cooling rates, and the same total motility (30 ± 7%) as at 10°C/min. Higher DMFA concentrations (10%-13%) were detrimental for embryo development compared to lower concentrations (<6%). This study provided a reliable protocol for sperm cryopreservation in Xenopus laevis to yield an application pathway with potential for high throughput that can be used as a roadmap for work with other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Arregui
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Jack C Koch
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Terrence R Tiersch
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
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7
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Sakagami K, Igawa T, Saikawa K, Sakaguchi Y, Hossain N, Kato C, Kinemori K, Suzuki N, Suzuki M, Kawaguchi A, Ochi H, Tajika Y, Ogino H. Development of a heat-stable alkaline phosphatase reporter system for cis-regulatory analysis and its application to 3D digital imaging of Xenopus embryonic tissues. Dev Growth Differ 2024; 66:256-265. [PMID: 38439617 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12919] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Xenopus is one of the essential model systems for studying vertebrate development. However, one drawback of this system is that, because of the opacity of Xenopus embryos, 3D imaging analysis is limited to surface structures, explant cultures, and post-embryonic tadpoles. To develop a technique for 3D tissue/organ imaging in whole Xenopus embryos, we identified optimal conditions for using placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) as a transgenic reporter and applied it to the correlative light microscopy and block-face imaging (CoMBI) method for visualization of PLAP-expressing tissues/organs. In embryos whose endogenous alkaline phosphatase activities were heat-inactivated, PLAP staining visualized various tissue-specific enhancer/promoter activities in a manner consistent with green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence. Furthermore, PLAP staining appeared to be more sensitive than GFP fluorescence as a reporter, and the resulting expression patterns were not mosaic, in striking contrast to the mosaic staining pattern of β-galactosidase expressed from the lacZ gene that was introduced by the same transgenesis method. Owing to efficient penetration of alkaline phosphatase substrates, PLAP activity was detected in deep tissues, such as the developing brain, spinal cord, heart, and somites, by whole-mount staining. The stained embryos were analyzed by the CoMBI method, resulting in the digital reconstruction of 3D images of the PLAP-expressing tissues. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the PLAP reporter system for detecting enhancer/promoter activities driving deep tissue expression and its combination with the CoMBI method as a powerful approach for 3D digital imaging analysis of specific tissue/organ structures in Xenopus embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyo Sakagami
- Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | - Takeshi Igawa
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kaori Saikawa
- Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | - Yusuke Sakaguchi
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Nusrat Hossain
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Chiho Kato
- Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Kinemori
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Nanoka Suzuki
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Makoto Suzuki
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Akane Kawaguchi
- Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Haruki Ochi
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Yuki Tajika
- Department of Radiological Technology, Gunma Prefectural College of Health Sciences, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hajime Ogino
- Amphibian Research Center, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Bredeson JV, Mudd AB, Medina-Ruiz S, Mitros T, Smith OK, Miller KE, Lyons JB, Batra SS, Park J, Berkoff KC, Plott C, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Aguirre-Figueroa G, Khokha MK, Lane M, Philipp I, Laslo M, Hanken J, Kerdivel G, Buisine N, Sachs LM, Buchholz DR, Kwon T, Smith-Parker H, Gridi-Papp M, Ryan MJ, Denton RD, Malone JH, Wallingford JB, Straight AF, Heald R, Hockemeyer D, Harland RM, Rokhsar DS. Conserved chromatin and repetitive patterns reveal slow genome evolution in frogs. Nat Commun 2024; 15:579. [PMID: 38233380 PMCID: PMC10794172 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43012-9] [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: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Frogs are an ecologically diverse and phylogenetically ancient group of anuran amphibians that include important vertebrate cell and developmental model systems, notably the genus Xenopus. Here we report a high-quality reference genome sequence for the western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis, along with draft chromosome-scale sequences of three distantly related emerging model frog species, Eleutherodactylus coqui, Engystomops pustulosus, and Hymenochirus boettgeri. Frog chromosomes have remained remarkably stable since the Mesozoic Era, with limited Robertsonian (i.e., arm-preserving) translocations and end-to-end fusions found among the smaller chromosomes. Conservation of synteny includes conservation of centromere locations, marked by centromeric tandem repeats associated with Cenp-a binding surrounded by pericentromeric LINE/L1 elements. This work explores the structure of chromosomes across frogs, using a dense meiotic linkage map for X. tropicalis and chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) data for all species. Abundant satellite repeats occupy the unusually long (~20 megabase) terminal regions of each chromosome that coincide with high rates of recombination. Both embryonic and differentiated cells show reproducible associations of centromeric chromatin and of telomeres, reflecting a Rabl-like configuration. Our comparative analyses reveal 13 conserved ancestral anuran chromosomes from which contemporary frog genomes were constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessen V Bredeson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- DOE-Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Austin B Mudd
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sofia Medina-Ruiz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Therese Mitros
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Owen Kabnick Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman Center 409, Stanford, CA, 94305-5307, USA
| | - Kelly E Miller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jessica B Lyons
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sanjit S Batra
- Computer Science Division, University of California Berkeley, 2626 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Joseph Park
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kodiak C Berkoff
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Christopher Plott
- HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Guadalupe Aguirre-Figueroa
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman Center 409, Stanford, CA, 94305-5307, USA
| | - Mustafa K Khokha
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Maura Lane
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Isabelle Philipp
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mara Laslo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - James Hanken
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Gwenneg Kerdivel
- Département Adaptation du Vivant, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Buisine
- Département Adaptation du Vivant, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Laurent M Sachs
- Département Adaptation du Vivant, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Daniel R Buchholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Taejoon Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Heidi Smith-Parker
- Department of Integrative Biology, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Marcos Gridi-Papp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Robert D Denton
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, 181 Auditorium Road, Unit 3197, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - John H Malone
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, 181 Auditorium Road, Unit 3197, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Aaron F Straight
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman Center 409, Stanford, CA, 94305-5307, USA
| | - Rebecca Heald
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Dirk Hockemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Daniel S Rokhsar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- DOE-Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 9040495, Japan.
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Laznovsky J, Kavkova M, Helena Reis A, Robovska-Havelkova P, Maia LA, Krivanek J, Zikmund T, Kaiser J, Buchtova M, Harnos J. Unveiling vertebrate development dynamics in frog Xenopus laevis using micro-CT imaging. Gigascience 2024; 13:giae037. [PMID: 39013635 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenopus laevis, the African clawed frog, is a versatile vertebrate model organism in various biological disciplines, prominently in developmental biology to study body plan reorganization during metamorphosis. However, a notable gap exists in the availability of comprehensive datasets encompassing Xenopus' late developmental stages. FINDINGS This study utilized micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), a noninvasive 3-dimensional (3D) imaging technique with micrometer-scale resolution, to explore the developmental dynamics and morphological changes in Xenopus laevis. Our approach involved generating high-resolution images and computed 3D models of developing Xenopus specimens, spanning from premetamorphosis tadpoles to fully mature adults. This dataset enhances our understanding of vertebrate development and supports various analyses. We conducted a careful examination, analyzing body size, shape, and morphological features, focusing on skeletogenesis, teeth, and organs like the brain and gut at different stages. Our analysis yielded valuable insights into 3D morphological changes during Xenopus' development, documenting details previously unrecorded. These datasets hold the solid potential for further morphological and morphometric analyses, including segmentation of hard and soft tissues. CONCLUSIONS Our repository of micro-CT scans represents a significant resource that can enhance our understanding of Xenopus' development and the associated morphological changes in the future. The widespread utility of this amphibian species, coupled with the exceptional quality of our scans, which encompass a comprehensive series of developmental stages, opens up extensive opportunities for their broader research application. Moreover, these scans can be used in virtual reality, 3D printing, and educational contexts, further expanding their value and impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Laznovsky
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Kavkova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Helena Reis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10025, USA, and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pavla Robovska-Havelkova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lorena Agostini Maia
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Krivanek
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Zikmund
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Kaiser
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Physical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Buchtova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Molecular Morphogenesis, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Harnos
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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10
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Virk SM, Trujillo-Provencio C, Serrano EE. Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Candidate Genes for Differential Expression during Xenopus laevis Inner Ear Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.29.573599. [PMID: 38260420 PMCID: PMC10802236 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.29.573599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background The genes involved in inner ear development and maintenance of the adult organ have yet to be fully characterized. Previous genetic analysis has emphasized the early development that gives rise to the otic vesicle. This study aimed to bridge the knowledge gap and identify candidate genes that are expressed as the auditory and vestibular sensory organs continue to grow and develop until the systems reach postmetamorphic maturity. Methods Affymetrix microarrays were used to assess inner ear transcriptome profiles from three Xenopus laevis developmental ages where all eight endorgans comprise mechanosensory hair cells: larval stages 50 and 56, and the post-metamorphic juvenile. Pairwise comparisons were made between the three developmental stages and the resulting differentially expressed X. laevis Probe Set IDs (Xl-PSIDs) were assigned to four groups based on differential expression patterns. DAVID analysis was undertaken to impart functional annotation to the differentially regulated Xl-PSIDs. Results Analysis identified 1510 candidate genes for differential gene expression in one or more pairwise comparison. Annotated genes not previously associated with inner ear development emerged from this analysis, as well as annotated genes with established inner ear function, such as oncomodulin, neurod1, and sp7. Notably, 36% of differentially expressed Xl-PSIDs were unannotated. Conclusions Results draw attention to the complex gene regulatory patterns that characterize Xenopus inner ear development, and underscore the need for improved annotation of the X. laevis genome. Outcomes can be utilized to select candidate inner ear genes for functional analysis, and to promote Xenopus as a model organism for biomedical studies of hearing and balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene M Virk
- Biology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM USA 88003
| | | | - Elba E Serrano
- Biology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM USA 88003
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11
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Nguyen TA, Heng JWJ, Ng YT, Sun R, Fisher S, Oguz G, Kaewsapsak P, Xue S, Reversade B, Ramasamy A, Eisenberg E, Tan MH. Deep transcriptome profiling reveals limited conservation of A-to-I RNA editing in Xenopus. BMC Biol 2023; 21:251. [PMID: 37946231 PMCID: PMC10636886 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01756-2] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenopus has served as a valuable model system for biomedical research over the past decades. Notably, ADAR was first detected in frog oocytes and embryos as an activity that unwinds RNA duplexes. However, the scope of A-to-I RNA editing by the ADAR enzymes in Xenopus remains underexplored. RESULTS Here, we identify millions of editing events in Xenopus with high accuracy and systematically map the editome across developmental stages, adult organs, and species. We report diverse spatiotemporal patterns of editing with deamination activity highest in early embryogenesis before zygotic genome activation and in the ovary. Strikingly, editing events are poorly conserved across different Xenopus species. Even sites that are detected in both X. laevis and X. tropicalis show largely divergent editing levels or developmental profiles. In protein-coding regions, only a small subset of sites that are found mostly in the brain are well conserved between frogs and mammals. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our work provides fresh insights into ADAR activity in vertebrates and suggest that species-specific editing may play a role in each animal's unique physiology or environmental adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tram Anh Nguyen
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Wei Joel Heng
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Ting Ng
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rui Sun
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shira Fisher
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The Mina and Everard Goodman, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Gokce Oguz
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pornchai Kaewsapsak
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shifeng Xue
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Reversade
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine (KUSoM), Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Adaikalavan Ramasamy
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eli Eisenberg
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Meng How Tan
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
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12
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Phelps WA, Hurton MD, Ayers TN, Carlson AE, Rosenbaum JC, Lee MT. Hybridization led to a rewired pluripotency network in the allotetraploid Xenopus laevis. eLife 2023; 12:e83952. [PMID: 37787392 PMCID: PMC10569791 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83952] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
After fertilization, maternally contributed factors to the egg initiate the transition to pluripotency to give rise to embryonic stem cells, in large part by activating de novo transcription from the embryonic genome. Diverse mechanisms coordinate this transition across animals, suggesting that pervasive regulatory remodeling has shaped the earliest stages of development. Here, we show that maternal homologs of mammalian pluripotency reprogramming factors OCT4 and SOX2 divergently activate the two subgenomes of Xenopus laevis, an allotetraploid that arose from hybridization of two diploid species ~18 million years ago. Although most genes have been retained as two homeologous copies, we find that a majority of them undergo asymmetric activation in the early embryo. Chromatin accessibility profiling and CUT&RUN for modified histones and transcription factor binding reveal extensive differences in predicted enhancer architecture between the subgenomes, which likely arose through genomic disruptions as a consequence of allotetraploidy. However, comparison with diploid X. tropicalis and zebrafish shows broad conservation of embryonic gene expression levels when divergent homeolog contributions are combined, implying strong selection to maintain dosage in the core vertebrate pluripotency transcriptional program, amid genomic instability following hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley A Phelps
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Matthew D Hurton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Taylor N Ayers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Anne E Carlson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Joel C Rosenbaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Miler T Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
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13
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Liu J, Zhang C. Xenopus cell-free extracts and their applications in cell biology study. BIOPHYSICS REPORTS 2023; 9:195-205. [PMID: 38516620 PMCID: PMC10951473 DOI: 10.52601/bpr.2023.230016] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Xenopus has proven to be a remarkably versatile model organism in the realm of biological research for numerous years, owing to its straightforward maintenance in laboratory settings and its abundant provision of ample-sized oocytes, eggs, and embryos. The cell cycle of these oocytes, eggs, and early embryos exhibits synchrony, and extracts derived from these cells serve various research purposes. Many fundamental concepts in biochemistry, cell biology, and development have been elucidated through the use of cell-free extracts derived from Xenopus cells. Over the past few decades, a wide array of cell-free extracts has been prepared from oocytes, eggs, and early embryos of different Xenopus species at varying cell cycle stages. Each of these extracts possesses distinct characteristics. This review provides a concise overview of the Xenopus species employed in laboratory research, the diverse types of cell-free extracts available, and their respective properties. Furthermore, this review delves into the extensive investigation of spindle assembly in Xenopus egg extracts, underscoring the versatility and potency of these cell-free systems in the realm of cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 91768, USA
| | - Chuanmao Zhang
- The Academy for Cell and Life Health, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- The Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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14
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Dimitrakopoulou D, Khwatenge CN, James-Zorn C, Paiola M, Bellin EW, Tian Y, Sundararaj N, Polak EJ, Grayfer L, Barnard D, Ohta Y, Horb M, Sang Y, Robert J. Advances in the Xenopus immunome: Diversification, expansion, and contraction. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 145:104734. [PMID: 37172665 PMCID: PMC10230362 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Xenopus is a genus of African clawed frogs including two species, X. tropicalis and X. laevis that are extensively used in experimental biology, immunology, and biomedical studies. The availability of fully sequenced and annotated Xenopus genomes is strengthening genome-wide analyses of gene families and transgenesis to model human diseases. However, inaccuracies in genome annotation for genes involved in the immune system (i.e., immunome) hamper immunogenetic studies. Furthermore, advanced genome technologies (e.g., single-cell and RNA-Seq) rely on well-annotated genomes. The annotation problems of Xenopus immunome include a lack of established orthology across taxa, merged gene models, poor representation in gene pages on Xenbase, misannotated genes and missing gene IDs. The Xenopus Research Resource for Immunobiology in collaboration with Xenbase and a group of investigators are working to resolve these issues in the latest versions of genome browsers. In this review, we summarize the current problems of previously misannotated gene families that we have recently resolved. We also highlight the expansion, contraction, and diversification of previously misannotated gene families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dionysia Dimitrakopoulou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Collins N Khwatenge
- Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christina James-Zorn
- Xenbase, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnti Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthieu Paiola
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Eleanor Wise Bellin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Yun Tian
- Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nivitha Sundararaj
- Xenbase, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnti Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emma J Polak
- Biology Department, Worcester State University, MA, USA
| | - Leon Grayfer
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daron Barnard
- Biology Department, Worcester State University, MA, USA
| | - Yuko Ohta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marko Horb
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Yongming Sang
- Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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15
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Siddam AD, Duot M, Coomson SY, Anand D, Aryal S, Weatherbee BAT, Audic Y, Paillard L, Lachke SA. High-Throughput Transcriptomics of Celf1 Conditional Knockout Lens Identifies Downstream Networks Linked to Cataract Pathology. Cells 2023; 12:1070. [PMID: 37048143 PMCID: PMC10093462 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071070] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Defects in the development of the ocular lens can cause congenital cataracts. To understand the various etiologies of congenital cataracts, it is important to characterize the genes linked to this developmental defect and to define their downstream pathways that are relevant to lens biology and pathology. Deficiency or alteration of several RNA-binding proteins, including the conserved RBP Celf1 (CUGBP Elav-like family member 1), has been described to cause lens defects and early onset cataracts in animal models and/or humans. Celf1 is involved in various aspects of post-transcriptional gene expression control, including regulation of mRNA stability/decay, alternative splicing and translation. Celf1 germline knockout mice and lens conditional knockout (Celf1cKO) mice develop fully penetrant cataracts in early postnatal stages. To define the genome-level changes in RNA transcripts that result from Celf1 deficiency, we performed high-throughput RNA-sequencing of Celf1cKO mouse lenses at postnatal day (P) 0. Celf1cKO lenses exhibit 987 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at cut-offs of >1.0 log2 counts per million (CPM), ≥±0.58 log2 fold-change and <0.05 false discovery rate (FDR). Of these, 327 RNAs were reduced while 660 were elevated in Celf1cKO lenses. The DEGs were subjected to various downstream analyses including iSyTE lens enriched-expression, presence in Cat-map, and gene ontology (GO) and representation of regulatory pathways. Further, a comparative analysis was done with previously generated microarray datasets on Celf1cKO lenses P0 and P6. Together, these analyses validated and prioritized several key genes mis-expressed in Celf1cKO lenses that are relevant to lens biology, including known cataract-linked genes (e.g., Cryab, Cryba2, Cryba4, Crybb1, Crybb2, Cryga, Crygb, Crygc, Crygd, Cryge, Crygf, Dnase2b, Bfsp1, Gja3, Pxdn, Sparc, Tdrd7, etc.) as well as novel candidates (e.g., Ell2 and Prdm16). Together, these data have defined the alterations in lens transcriptome caused by Celf1 deficiency, in turn uncovering downstream genes and pathways (e.g., structural constituents of eye lenses, lens fiber cell differentiation, etc.) associated with lens development and early-onset cataracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana D. Siddam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Matthieu Duot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ. Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sarah Y. Coomson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Deepti Anand
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Sandeep Aryal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | | | - Yann Audic
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ. Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Luc Paillard
- CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), Univ. Rennes, UMR 6290, Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Salil A. Lachke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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16
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El Mir J, Fedou S, Thézé N, Morice-Picard F, Cario M, Fayyad-Kazan H, Thiébaud P, Rezvani HR. Xenopus: An in vivo model for studying skin response to ultraviolet B irradiation. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:194-202. [PMID: 36880984 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Ultraviolet B (UVB) in sunlight cause skin damage, ranging from wrinkles to photoaging and skin cancer. UVB can affect genomic DNA by creating cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine-pyrimidine (6-4) photoproducts (6-4PPs). These lesions are mainly repaired by the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system and by photolyase enzymes that are activated by blue light. Our main goal was to validate the use of Xenopus laevis as an in vivo model system for investigating the impact of UVB on skin physiology. The mRNA expression levels of xpc and six other genes of the NER system and CPD/6-4PP photolyases were found at all stages of embryonic development and in all adult tissues tested. When examining Xenopus embryos at different time points after UVB irradiation, we observed a gradual decrease in CPD levels and an increased number of apoptotic cells, together with an epidermal thickening and an increased dendricity of melanocytes. We observed a quick removal of CPDs when embryos are exposed to blue light versus in the dark, confirming the efficient activation of photolyases. A decrease in the number of apoptotic cells and an accelerated return to normal proliferation rate was noted in blue light-exposed embryos compared with their control counterparts. Overall, a gradual decrease in CPD levels, detection of apoptotic cells, thickening of epidermis, and increased dendricity of melanocytes, emulate human skin responses to UVB and support Xenopus as an appropriate and alternative model for such studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joudi El Mir
- University Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Nadine Thézé
- University Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, Bordeaux, France
| | - Fanny Morice-Picard
- University Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Dermatology and Pediatric Dermatology, National Reference Centre for Rare Disorders, Hôpital des Enfants Pellegrin, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Muriel Cario
- University Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, Bordeaux, France.,Aquiderm, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hussein Fayyad-Kazan
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| | | | - Hamid-Reza Rezvani
- University Bordeaux, Inserm, BRIC, Bordeaux, France.,Aquiderm, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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17
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Premachandra T, Cauret CMS, Conradie W, Measey J, Evans BJ. Population genomics and subgenome evolution of the allotetraploid frog Xenopus laevis in southern Africa. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 13:6916838. [PMID: 36524354 PMCID: PMC9911082 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Allotetraploid genomes have two distinct genomic components called subgenomes that are derived from separate diploid ancestral species. Many genomic characteristics such as gene function, expression, recombination, and transposable element mobility may differ significantly between subgenomes. To explore the possibility that subgenome population structure and gene flow may differ as well, we examined genetic variation in an allotetraploid frog-the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)-over the dynamic and varied habitat of its native range in southern Africa. Using reduced representation genome sequences from 91 samples from 12 localities, we found no strong evidence that population structure and gene flow differed substantially by subgenome. We then compared patterns of population structure in the nuclear genome to the mitochondrial genome using Sanger sequences from 455 samples from 183 localities. Our results provide further resolution to the geographic distribution of mitochondrial and nuclear diversity in this species and illustrate that population structure in both genomes corresponds roughly with variation in seasonal rainfall and with the topography of southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tharindu Premachandra
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Life Sciences Building Room 328, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S4K1, Canada
| | - Caroline M S Cauret
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Life Sciences Building Room 328, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S4K1, Canada,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Werner Conradie
- Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), P.O. Box 13147, Humewood, Gqeberha 6013, South Africa,Department of Conservation Management, Natural Resource Science and Management Cluster, Faculty of Science, Nelson Mandela University, George Campus, George 6019, South Africa
| | - John Measey
- Corresponding author: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa.
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18
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Shi Z, Jiang H, Liu G, Shi S, Zhang X, Chen Y. Expanding the CRISPR/Cas genome-editing scope in Xenopus tropicalis. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:104. [PMID: 35804405 PMCID: PMC9264700 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00841-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The true diploid frog, Xenopus tropicalis (X. tropicalis) is an excellent genetic model organism. To date, the CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing methods established in this species are mostly based on SpCas9 that requires the stringent NGG protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) for target recognition, which limits its genome editing scope. Thus, it is highly desirable to circumvent this limitation.
Results
Through one-cell stage injection of Cas/gRNAs into X. tropicalis embryos, we evaluated the mutagenic efficiency of 8 different Cas variants using T7EI assay, Sanger DNA sequencing, or deep sequencing. Our data indicate that SaCas9 and KKH SaCas9 are highly effective in frogs, which could be used for direct phenotyping in G0 embryos. In contrast, VQR Cas9, xCas9 3.7, SpG Cas9, and SpRY Cas9 were ineffective in X. tropicalis embryos and no activity was detected for iSpyMac Cas9. We also found that LbCas12a/crRNA RNP complexes with paired crRNAs efficiently induced small fragment deletions in X. tropicalis embryos.
Conclusion
SaCas9 and KKH SaCas9 are robust genome editing tools in X. tropicalis embryos. LbCas12a/crRNA RNP complexes are useful for inducing DNA fragment deletions in frog embryos. These tools expand the CRISPR/Cas genome editing scope in X. tropicalis and increase the flexibility for various genome editing applications in frogs.
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19
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Evans BJ, Mudd AB, Bredeson JV, Furman BLS, Wasonga DV, Lyons JB, Harland RM, Rokhsar DS. New insights into Xenopus sex chromosome genomics from the Marsabit clawed frog X. borealis. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1777-1790. [PMID: 36054077 PMCID: PMC9722552 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In many groups, sex chromosomes change frequently but the drivers of their rapid evolution are varied and often poorly characterized. With an aim of further understanding sex chromosome turnover, we investigated the polymorphic sex chromosomes of the Marsabit clawed frog, Xenopus borealis, using genomic data and a new chromosome-scale genome assembly. We confirmed previous findings that 54.1 Mb of chromosome 8L is sex-linked in animals from east Kenya and a laboratory strain, but most (or all) of this region is not sex-linked in natural populations from west Kenya. Previous work suggests possible degeneration of the Z chromosomes in the east population because many sex-linked transcripts of this female heterogametic population have female-biased expression, and we therefore expected this chromosome to not be present in the west population. In contrast, our simulations support a model where most or all of the sex-linked portion of the Z chromosome from the east acquired autosomal segregation in the west, and where much genetic variation specific to the large sex-linked portion of the W chromosome from the east is not present in the west. These recent changes are consistent with the hot-potato model, wherein sex chromosome turnover is favoured by natural selection if it purges a (minimally) degenerate sex-specific sex chromosome, but counterintuitively suggest natural selection failed to purge a Z chromosome that has signs of more advanced and possibly more ancient regulatory degeneration. These findings highlight complex evolutionary dynamics of young, rapidly evolving Xenopus sex chromosomes and set the stage for mechanistic work aimed at pinpointing additional sex-determining genes in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Evans
- Biology Department, Life Sciences Building Room 328, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Austin B Mudd
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jessen V Bredeson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Benjamin L S Furman
- Biology Department, Life Sciences Building Room 328, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Canexia Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Jessica B Lyons
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Dan S Rokhsar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Japan
- Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub, San Francisco, California, USA
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20
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Womack MC, Steigerwald E, Blackburn DC, Cannatella DC, Catenazzi A, Che J, Koo MS, McGuire JA, Ron SR, Spencer CL, Vredenburg VT, Tarvin RD. State of the Amphibia 2020: A Review of Five Years of Amphibian Research and Existing Resources. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1643/h2022005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Womack
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322; . ORCID: 0000-0002-3346-021X
| | - Emma Steigerwald
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - David C. Blackburn
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; . ORCID: 0000-0002-1810-9886
| | - David C. Cannatella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; . ORCID: 0000-0001-8675-0520
| | | | - Jing Che
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; . ORCID: 0000-0003-4246-6
| | - Michelle S. Koo
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Jimmy A. McGuire
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Santiago R. Ron
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; . ORCID: 0000-0001-6300-9350
| | - Carol L. Spencer
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Vance T. Vredenburg
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
| | - Rebecca D. Tarvin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; (ES) ; (MSK) ; (JAM) ; (CS) ; (VTV) ; and (RDT)
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21
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A prototype of the mammalian sulfotransferase 1 (SULT1) family in Xenopus laevis: Characterization of a biased usage of SULT1 genes located in the S-subgenome. Gene 2022; 830:146495. [PMID: 35447235 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BLAST searches previously carried out against Xenopus genome databases, using the cloned X. laevis cytosolic sulfotransferase 1 (SULT1) cDNA sequence, revealed the presence of more than a dozen members of this gene family. Among them, 11 genes composed of five sets, four pairs and a triplet, were homeologous genes in the X. laevis allotetraploid genome consisting of S- and L-subgenomes (≥83% identity within a set). Phylogenetic and synteny analyses of tetrapod SULT1 genes demonstrated that X. laevis possessed six subfamilies, four of which were related to mammalian SULT1 gene subfamilies, while two were ectothermic vertebrate-specific and amphibian-specific SULT1 gene subfamilies. Five sets of homeologous SULT1 genes were located as a gene cluster, and showed S-subgenome-biased gene expression patterns. Acetylation levels of histone H3 at lysine 9 and H4 were also higher in the homeologous SULT1 genes on the S-subgenome than those on the L-subgenome, however, methylation levels of histone H3 at lysine 9 and DNA methylation levels showed no correlation with their transcript levels. In conclusion, histone modifications such as acetylation may be a key factor that controls the S-subgenome-biased expression of the homeologous SULT1 genes.
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22
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E Yan R, P Greenfield J, Dahmane N. Developments in high-throughput functional epigenomics: CRISPR-single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing screens. Epigenomics 2022; 14:645-649. [PMID: 35574596 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tweetable abstract CRISPR-scATAC-seq screens pave the way for high-throughput functional epigenomics by linking perturbations to a broad view of epigenetic state and messages hidden within accessible sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Yan
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Neurological Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Greenfield
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Neurological Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Nadia Dahmane
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Neurological Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
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23
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Baxi AB, Pade LR, Nemes P. Cell-Lineage Guided Mass Spectrometry Proteomics in the Developing (Frog) Embryo. J Vis Exp 2022:10.3791/63586. [PMID: 35532271 PMCID: PMC9513837 DOI: 10.3791/63586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of molecular events as cells give rise to tissues and organs raises a potential to better understand normal development and design efficient remedies for diseases. Technologies enabling accurate identification and quantification of diverse types and large numbers of proteins would provide still missing information on molecular mechanisms orchestrating tissue and organism development in space and time. Here, we present a mass spectrometry-based protocol that enables the measurement of thousands of proteins in identified cell lineages in Xenopus laevis (frog) embryos. The approach builds on reproducible cell-fate maps and established methods to identify, fluorescently label, track, and sample cells and their progeny (clones) from this model of vertebrate development. After collecting cellular contents using microsampling or isolating cells by dissection or fluorescence-activated cell sorting, proteins are extracted and processed for bottom-up proteomic analysis. Liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis are used to provide scalable separation for protein detection and quantification with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Representative examples are provided for the proteomic characterization of neural-tissue fated cells. Cell-lineage-guided HRMS proteomics is adaptable to different tissues and organisms. It is sufficiently sensitive, specific, and quantitative to peer into the spatio-temporal dynamics of the proteome during vertebrate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna B Baxi
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland; Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The George Washington University
| | - Leena R Pade
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland
| | - Peter Nemes
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland; Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, The George Washington University;
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24
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MacKenzie EM, Atkins JB, Korneisel DE, Cantelon AS, McKinnell IW, Maddin HC. Normal development in Xenopus laevis: A complementary staging table for the skull based on cartilage and bone. Dev Dyn 2022; 251:1340-1356. [PMID: 35247013 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenopus laevis is a widely used model organism in the fields of genetics and development, and more recently evolution. At present, the most widely used staging table for X. laevis is based primarily on external features and does not describe the corresponding skull development in detail. Here, we describe skull development in X. laevis, complete with labelled figures, for each relevant stage in the most widely used staging table. RESULTS We find skull development in X. laevis is, for the most part, distinct at each of the previously established stages based on external anatomy. However, variation does exist in the timing of onset of ossification of certain bones in the skull, which results in a range of stages where a skull element first ossifies. The overall sequence of ossification is less variable than the timing of ossification onset. CONCLUSIONS While events in skull development vary somewhat between specimens, and in comparison, to external events, this staging table is useful in showing both when bones first appear and for documenting the range of temporal variance in X. laevis skull development more accurately than previously done. Furthermore, when only skull data is available, the approximate stage of a specimen can now be determined. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M MacKenzie
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jade B Atkins
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dana E Korneisel
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alanna S Cantelon
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iain W McKinnell
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hillary C Maddin
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Closset M, Cailliau K, Slaby S, Marin M. Effects of Aluminium Contamination on the Nervous System of Freshwater Aquatic Vertebrates: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010031. [PMID: 35008450 PMCID: PMC8744726 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aluminium (Al) is the most common natural metallic element in the Earth’s crust. It is released into the environment through natural processes and human activities and accumulates in aquatic environments. This review compiles scientific data on the neurotoxicity of aluminium contamination on the nervous system of aquatic organisms. More precisely, it helps identify biomarkers of aluminium exposure for aquatic environment biomonitoring in freshwater aquatic vertebrates. Al is neurotoxic and accumulates in the nervous system of aquatic vertebrates, which is why it could be responsible for oxidative stress. In addition, it activates and inhibits antioxidant enzymes and leads to changes in acetylcholinesterase activity, neurotransmitter levels, and in the expression of several neural genes and nerve cell components. It also causes histological changes in nerve tissue, modifications of organism behaviour, and cognitive deficit. However, impacts of aluminium exposure on the early stages of aquatic vertebrate development are poorly described. Lastly, this review also poses the question of how accurate aquatic vertebrates (fishes and amphibians) could be used as model organisms to complement biological data relating to the developmental aspect. This “challenge” is very relevant since freshwater pollution with heavy metals has increased in the last few decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Closset
- University Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, F-59000 Lille, France; (M.C.); (K.C.)
| | - Katia Cailliau
- University Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, F-59000 Lille, France; (M.C.); (K.C.)
| | - Sylvain Slaby
- Normandie University, UNILEHAVRE, CNRS, UMR 3730 SCALE, Environmental Stress and Aquatic Biomonitoring (SEBIO), F-76600 Le Havre, France;
| | - Matthieu Marin
- University Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, F-59000 Lille, France; (M.C.); (K.C.)
- Correspondence:
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26
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Hudson DT, Chapman PA, Day RC, Morgan XC, Beck CW. Complete Genome Sequences of Kinneretia sp. Strain XES5, Shinella sp. Strain XGS7, and Vogesella sp. Strain XCS3, Isolated from Xenopus laevis Skin. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:e0105021. [PMID: 34913717 PMCID: PMC8675264 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01050-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the genome sequences of three bacterial isolates, Kinneretia sp. strain XES5, Shinella sp. strain XGS7, and Vogesella sp. strain XCS3, which were cultured from skin of adult female laboratory-bred Xenopus laevis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. T. Hudson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - P. A. Chapman
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - R. C. Day
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - X. C. Morgan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - C. W. Beck
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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27
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Slater PG, Palacios M, Larraín J. Xenopus, a Model to Study Wound Healing and Regeneration: Experimental Approaches. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2021; 2021:pdb.top100966. [PMID: 33782095 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top100966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Xenopus has been widely used as a model organism to study wound healing and regeneration. During early development and at tadpole stages, Xenopus is a quick healer and is able to regenerate multiple complex organs-abilities that decrease with the progression of metamorphosis. This unique capacity leads us to question which mechanisms allow and direct regeneration at stages before the beginning of metamorphosis and which ones are responsible for the loss of regenerative capacities during later stages. Xenopus is an ideal model to study regeneration and has contributed to the understanding of morphological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms involved in these processes. Nevertheless, there is still much to learn. Here we provide an overview on using Xenopus as a model organism to study regeneration and introduce protocols that can be used for studying wound healing and regeneration at multiple levels, thus enhancing our understanding of these phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula G Slater
- Center for Aging and Regeneration, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile 7820436
| | - Miriam Palacios
- Center for Aging and Regeneration, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile 7820436
| | - Juan Larraín
- Center for Aging and Regeneration, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile 7820436
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28
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Kuretani A, Yamamoto T, Taira M, Michiue T. Evolution of hes gene family in vertebrates: the hes5 cluster genes have specifically increased in frogs. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:147. [PMID: 34325655 PMCID: PMC8320183 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01879-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background hes genes are chordate homologs of Drosophila genes, hairy and enhancer of split, which encode a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional repressor with a WRPW motif. Various developmental functions of hes genes, including early embryogenesis and neurogenesis, have been elucidated in vertebrates. However, their orthologous relationships remain unclear partly because of less conservation of relatively short amino acid sequences, the fact that the genome was not analyzed as it is today, and species-specific genome duplication. This results in complicated gene names in vertebrates, which are not consistent in orthologs. We previously revealed that Xenopus frogs have two clusters of hes5, named “the hes5.1 cluster” and “the hes5.3 cluster”, but the origin and the conservation have not yet been revealed. Results Here, we elucidated the orthologous and paralogous relationships of all hes genes of human, mouse, chicken, gecko, zebrafish, medaka, coelacanth, spotted gar, elephant shark and three species of frogs, Xenopus tropicalis (X. tropicalis), X. laevis, Nanorana parkeri, by phylogenetic and synteny analyses. Any duplicated hes5 were not found in mammals, whereas hes5 clusters in teleost were conserved although not as many genes as the three frog species. In addition, hes5 cluster-like structure was found in the elephant shark genome, but not found in cyclostomata. Conclusion These data suggest that the hes5 cluster existed in the gnathostome ancestor but became a single gene in mammals. The number of hes5 cluster genes were specifically large in frogs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01879-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Kuretani
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Masanori Taira
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8551, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Michiue
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. .,Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
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29
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Tokarz J, Schmitt SM, Möller G, Brändli AW, Adamski J. Functional characterization of two 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 homeologs from Xenopus laevis reveals multispecificity. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 210:105874. [PMID: 33722706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is a versatile model for biomedical research and is largely similar to mammals in terms of organ development, anatomy, physiology, and hormonal signaling mechanisms. Steroid hormones control a variety of processes and their levels are regulated by hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDs). The subfamily of 20β-HSD type 2 enzymes currently comprises eight members from teleost fish and mammals. Here, we report the identification of three 20β-HSD type 2 genes in X. tropicalis and X. laevis and the functional characterization of the two homeologs from X. laevis. X. laevis Hsd20b2.L and Hsd20b2.S showed high sequence identity with known 20β-HSD type 2 enzymes and mapped to the two subgenomes of the allotetraploid frog genome. Both homeologs are expressed during embryonic development and in adult tissues, with strongest signals in liver, kidney, intestine, and skin. After recombinant expression in human cell lines, both enzymes co-localized with the endoplasmic reticulum and catalyzed the conversion of cortisone to 20β-dihydrocortisone. Both Hsd20b2.L and Hsd20b2.S catalyzed the 20β-reduction of further C21 steroids (17α-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone), while only Hsd20b2.S was able to convert corticosterone and cortisol to their 20β-reduced metabolites. Estrone was only a poor and androstenedione no substrate for both enzymes. Our results demonstrate multispecificity of 20β-HSD type 2 enzymes from X. laevis similar to other teleost 20β-HSD type 2 enzymes. X. laevis 20β-HSD type 2 enzymes are probably involved in steroid catabolism and in the generation of pheromones for intraspecies communication. A role in oocyte maturation is unlikely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Tokarz
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Stefan M Schmitt
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriele Möller
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - André W Brändli
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jerzy Adamski
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism, Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany; Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Genetik, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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30
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Moreno MM, Barrell WB, Godwin A, Guille M, Liu KJ. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (alk), a neuroblastoma associated gene, is expressed in neural crest domains during embryonic development of Xenopus. Gene Expr Patterns 2021; 40:119183. [PMID: 34020009 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2021.119183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a neural crest-derived paediatric cancer that is the most common and deadly solid extracranial tumour of childhood. It arises when neural crest cells fail to follow their differentiation program to give rise to cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage. These undifferentiated cells can proliferate and migrate, forming tumours mostly found associated with the adrenal glands. Activating mutations in the kinase domain of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) are linked to high-risk cases, where extensive therapy is ineffective. However, the role of ALK in embryonic development, downstream signal transduction and in metastatic transformation of the neural crest is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate high conservation of the ALK protein sequences among vertebrates. We then examine alk mRNA expression in the frog models Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. Using in situ hybridisation of Xenopus embryos, we show that alk is expressed in neural crest domains throughout development, suggesting a possible role in neuroblastoma initiation. Lastly, RT-qPCR analyses show high levels of alk expression at tadpole stages. Collectively, these data may begin to elucidate how alk functions in neural crest cells and how its deregulation can result in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela M Moreno
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - William B Barrell
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Annie Godwin
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Matthew Guille
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Karen J Liu
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
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31
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Baxi AB, Pade LR, Nemes P. Mass spectrometry based proteomics for developmental neurobiology in the amphibian Xenopus laevis. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 145:205-231. [PMID: 34074530 PMCID: PMC8314003 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The South African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), a prominent vertebrate model in cell and developmental biology, has been instrumental in studying molecular mechanisms of neural development and disease. Recently, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), a bioanalytical technology, has expanded the molecular toolbox of protein detection and characterization (proteomics). This chapter overviews the characteristics, advantages, and challenges of this biological model and technology. Discussions are offered on their combined use to aid studies on cell differentiation and development of neural tissues. Finally, the emerging integration of proteomics and other 'omic technologies is reflected on to generate new knowledge, drive and test new hypotheses, and ultimately, advance the understanding of neural development during states of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna B Baxi
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Leena R Pade
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Peter Nemes
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
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Klymkowsky MW. Making mechanistic sense: are we teaching students what they need to know? Dev Biol 2021; 476:308-313. [PMID: 33930394 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating learning outcomes depends upon objective and actionable measures of what students know - that is, what can they do with what they have learned. In the context of a developmental biology course, a capstone of many molecular biology degree programs, I asked students to predict the behaviors of temporal and spatial signaling gradients. Their responses led me to consider an alternative to conventional assessments, namely a process in which students are asked to build and apply plausible explanatory mechanistic models ("PEMMs"). A salient point is not whether students' models are correct, but whether they "work" in a manner consistent with underlying scientific principles. Analyzing such models can reveal the extent to which students recognize and accurately apply relevant ideas. An emphasis on model building, analysis and revision, an authentic scientific practice, can be expected to have transformative effects on course and curricular design as well as on student engagement and learning outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Klymkowsky
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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Piccinni MZ, Watts JEM, Fourny M, Guille M, Robson SC. The skin microbiome of Xenopus laevis and the effects of husbandry conditions. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:17. [PMID: 33546771 PMCID: PMC7866774 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00080-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Historically the main source of laboratory Xenopus laevis was the environment. The increase in genetically altered animals and evolving governmental constraints around using wild-caught animals for research has led to the establishment of resource centres that supply animals and reagents worldwide, such as the European Xenopus Resource Centre. In the last decade, centres were encouraged to keep animals in a "low microbial load" or "clean" state, where embryos are surface sterilized before entering the housing system; instead of the conventional, "standard" conditions where frogs and embryos are kept without prior surface treatment. Despite Xenopus laevis having been kept in captivity for almost a century, surprisingly little is known about the frogs as a holobiont and how changing the microbiome may affect resistance to disease. This study examines how the different treatment conditions, "clean" and "standard" husbandry in recirculating housing, affects the skin microbiome of tadpoles and female adults. This is particularly important when considering the potential for poor welfare caused by a change in husbandry method as animals move from resource centres to smaller research colonies. RESULTS We found strong evidence for developmental control of the surface microbiome on Xenopus laevis; adults had extremely similar microbial communities independent of their housing, while both tadpole and environmental microbiome communities were less resilient and showed greater diversity. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the adult Xenopus laevis microbiome is controlled and selected by the host. This indicates that the surface microbiome of adult Xenopus laevis is stable and defined independently of the environment in which it is housed, suggesting that the use of clean husbandry conditions poses little risk to the skin microbiome when transferring adult frogs to research laboratories. This will have important implications for frog health applicable to Xenopus laevis research centres throughout the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Z. Piccinni
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Joy E. M. Watts
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636Centre for Enzyme Innovation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Marie Fourny
- grid.10400.350000 0001 2108 3034University of Rouen-Normandy, Rouen, France
| | - Matt Guille
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Samuel C. Robson
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636Centre for Enzyme Innovation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- grid.4701.20000 0001 0728 6636School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
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Exner CRT, Willsey HR. Xenopus leads the way: Frogs as a pioneering model to understand the human brain. Genesis 2021; 59:e23405. [PMID: 33369095 PMCID: PMC8130472 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
From its long history in the field of embryology to its recent advances in genetics, Xenopus has been an indispensable model for understanding the human brain. Foundational studies that gave us our first insights into major embryonic patterning events serve as a crucial backdrop for newer avenues of investigation into organogenesis and organ function. The vast array of tools available in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis allows interrogation of developmental phenomena at all levels, from the molecular to the behavioral, and the application of CRISPR technology has enabled the investigation of human disorder risk genes in a higher-throughput manner. As the only major tetrapod model in which all developmental stages are easily manipulated and observed, frogs provide the unique opportunity to study organ development from the earliest stages. All of these features make Xenopus a premier model for studying the development of the brain, a notoriously complex process that demands an understanding of all stages from fertilization to organogenesis and beyond. Importantly, core processes of brain development are conserved between Xenopus and human, underlining the advantages of this model. This review begins by summarizing discoveries made in amphibians that form the cornerstones of vertebrate neurodevelopmental biology and goes on to discuss recent advances that have catapulted our understanding of brain development in Xenopus and in relation to human development and disease. As we engage in a new era of patient-driven gene discovery, Xenopus offers exceptional potential to uncover conserved biology underlying human brain disorders and move towards rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron R T Exner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
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Williams MC, Patel JH, Kakebeen AD, Wills AE. Nutrient availability contributes to a graded refractory period for regeneration in Xenopus tropicalis. Dev Biol 2021; 473:59-70. [PMID: 33484704 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Xenopus tadpoles are a unique model for regeneration in that they exhibit two distinct phases of age-specific regenerative competence. In Xenopus laevis, young tadpoles fully regenerate following major injuries such as tail transection, then transiently lose regenerative competence during the "refractory period" from stages 45-47. Regenerative competence is then regained in older tadpoles before being permanently lost during metamorphosis. Here we show that a similar refractory period exists in X. tropicalis. Notably, tadpoles lose regenerative competence gradually in X. tropicalis, with full regenerative competence lost at stage 47. We find that the refractory period coincides closely with depletion of maternal yolk stores and the onset of independent feeding, and so we hypothesized that it might be caused in part by nutrient stress. In support of this hypothesis, we find that cell proliferation declines throughout the tail as the refractory period approaches. When we block nutrient mobilization by inhibiting mTOR signaling, we find that tadpole growth and regeneration are reduced, while yolk stores persist. Finally, we are able to restore regenerative competence and cell proliferation during the refractory period by abundantly feeding tadpoles. Our study argues that nutrient stress contributes to lack of regenerative competence and introduces the X. tropicalis refractory period as a valuable new model for interrogating how metabolic constraints inform regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeet H Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anneke D Kakebeen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrea E Wills
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Abstract
The fertilized frog egg contains all the materials needed to initiate development of a new organism, including stored RNAs and proteins deposited during oogenesis, thus the earliest stages of development do not require transcription. The onset of transcription from the zygotic genome marks the first genetic switch activating the gene regulatory network that programs embryonic development. Zygotic genome activation occurs after an initial phase of transcriptional quiescence that continues until the midblastula stage, a period called the midblastula transition, which was first identified in Xenopus. Activation of transcription is programmed by maternally supplied factors and is regulated at multiple levels. A similar switch exists in most animals and is of great interest both to developmental biologists and to those interested in understanding nuclear reprogramming. Here we review in detail our knowledge on this major switch in transcription in Xenopus and place recent discoveries in the context of a decades old problem.
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Harding P, Cunha DL, Moosajee M. Animal and cellular models of microphthalmia. THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN RARE DISEASE 2021; 2:2633004021997447. [PMID: 37181112 PMCID: PMC10032472 DOI: 10.1177/2633004021997447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Microphthalmia is a rare developmental eye disorder affecting 1 in 7000 births. It is defined as a small (axial length ⩾2 standard deviations below the age-adjusted mean) underdeveloped eye, caused by disruption of ocular development through genetic or environmental factors in the first trimester of pregnancy. Clinical phenotypic heterogeneity exists amongst patients with varying levels of severity, and associated ocular and systemic features. Up to 11% of blind children are reported to have microphthalmia, yet currently no treatments are available. By identifying the aetiology of microphthalmia and understanding how the mechanisms of eye development are disrupted, we can gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis. Animal models, mainly mouse, zebrafish and Xenopus, have provided extensive information on the genetic regulation of oculogenesis, and how perturbation of these pathways leads to microphthalmia. However, differences exist between species, hence cellular models, such as patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) optic vesicles, are now being used to provide greater insights into the human disease process. Progress in 3D cellular modelling techniques has enhanced the ability of researchers to study interactions of different cell types during eye development. Through improved molecular knowledge of microphthalmia, preventative or postnatal therapies may be developed, together with establishing genotype-phenotype correlations in order to provide patients with the appropriate prognosis, multidisciplinary care and informed genetic counselling. This review summarises some key discoveries from animal and cellular models of microphthalmia and discusses how innovative new models can be used to further our understanding in the future. Plain language summary Animal and Cellular Models of the Eye Disorder, Microphthalmia (Small Eye) Microphthalmia, meaning a small, underdeveloped eye, is a rare disorder that children are born with. Genetic changes or variations in the environment during the first 3 months of pregnancy can disrupt early development of the eye, resulting in microphthalmia. Up to 11% of blind children have microphthalmia, yet currently no treatments are available. By understanding the genes necessary for eye development, we can determine how disruption by genetic changes or environmental factors can cause this condition. This helps us understand why microphthalmia occurs, and ensure patients are provided with the appropriate clinical care and genetic counselling advice. Additionally, by understanding the causes of microphthalmia, researchers can develop treatments to prevent or reduce the severity of this condition. Animal models, particularly mice, zebrafish and frogs, which can also develop small eyes due to the same genetic/environmental changes, have helped us understand the genes which are important for eye development and can cause birth eye defects when disrupted. Studying a patient's own cells grown in the laboratory can further help researchers understand how changes in genes affect their function. Both animal and cellular models can be used to develop and test new drugs, which could provide treatment options for patients living with microphthalmia. This review summarises the key discoveries from animal and cellular models of microphthalmia and discusses how innovative new models can be used to further our understanding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariya Moosajee
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath
Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS
Foundation Trust, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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Louie SH, Fisher M, Grainger RM. Elucidating the framework for specification and determination of the embryonic retina. Exp Cell Res 2020; 397:112316. [PMID: 33031807 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
How cell determination is regulated remains a major unsolved problem in developmental biology. The early embryonic rudiments of many tissues and organs are difficult or impossible to identify, isolate and study at the time when determination occurs. We have examined the commitment process leading to retina formation in Xenopus laevis, where presumptive eye tissue can be identified and studied to assay its biological properties during the events leading up to determination. We find that for the retina, specification, the point at which a tissue placed in neutral culture medium can first properly differentiate, occurs during mid-gastrulation. By late gastrulation, determination, the final, irreversible step in commitment, has occurred. At this stage, the presumptive retina will differentiate and cannot be reprogrammed even if exposed to other active inducers, e.g. when challenged by transplantation to ectopic sites in the embryo. Key eye regulatory genes are initially expressed in the retinal field during specification and/or determination (e.g. rax, pax6, lhx2, and fzd5) potentially linking them, or genes that regulate them, to these processes. This study provides essential groundwork for defining the mechanisms for how these important developmental transitions occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Louie
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Marilyn Fisher
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Robert M Grainger
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
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Kakebeen AD, Chitsazan AD, Wills AE. Tissue disaggregation and isolation of specific cell types from transgenic Xenopus appendages for transcriptional analysis by FACS. Dev Dyn 2020; 250:1381-1392. [PMID: 33137227 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenopus embryos and tadpoles are versatile models for embryological, cell biological, and regenerative studies. Genomic and transcriptomic approaches have been increasingly employed in these frogs. Most of these genome-wide analyses have profiled tissues in bulk, but there are many scenarios where isolation of single cells may be advantageous, including isolation of a preferred cell type, or generation of a single-cell suspension for applications such as scRNA-Seq. RESULTS Here we present a protocol for the disaggregation of complex tail and limb bud tissue, and use cell type-specific fluorescence in transgenic X. tropicalis appendages to isolate specific cell populations using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Our protocol addresses a specific challenge in Xenopus embryos and tadpoles: the storage of maternal yolk platelets in each cell, which can introduce light scatter and thereby false positives into FACS analysis. CONCLUSIONS Here we gate against both nontransgenic and ubiquitously transgenic animals to reduce both false positives and false negatives. We use the Xtr.Tg(pax6:GFP;cryga:RFP;actc1:RFP)Papal transgenic line as a test case to demonstrate that nucleic acid preparations made from sorted cells are high quality and specific. We anticipate this method will be adaptable to study various cell types that have transgenic reporter lines to better profile cell types of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneke Dixie Kakebeen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington Seattle, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alexander Daniel Chitsazan
- Oregon Health Sciences Center For Early Detection Advanced Research Center (CEDAR), Portland, Oregon, USA
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40
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Cobley JN, Husi H. Immunological Techniques to Assess Protein Thiol Redox State: Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:E315. [PMID: 32326525 PMCID: PMC7222201 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9040315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and redox signaling in health and disease it is essential to assess protein thiol redox state. Protein thiol redox state is seldom assessed immunologically because of the inability to distinguish reduced and reversibly oxidized thiols by Western blotting. An underappreciated opportunity exists to use Click PEGylation to realize the transformative power of simple, time and cost-efficient immunological techniques. Click PEGylation harnesses selective, bio-orthogonal Click chemistry to separate reduced and reversibly oxidized thiols by selectively ligating a low molecular weight polyethylene glycol moiety to the redox state of interest. The resultant ability to disambiguate reduced and reversibly oxidized species by Western blotting enables Click PEGylation to assess protein thiol redox state. In the present review, to enable investigators to effectively harness immunological techniques to assess protein thiol redox state we critique the chemistry, promise and challenges of Click PEGylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Nathan Cobley
- Centre for Health Sciences, University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness IV2 3JH, UK;
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41
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Cobley J, Noble A, Bessell R, Guille M, Husi H. Reversible Thiol Oxidation Inhibits the Mitochondrial ATP Synthase in Xenopus Laevis Oocytes. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9030215. [PMID: 32150908 PMCID: PMC7139892 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9030215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocytes are postulated to repress the proton pumps (e.g., complex IV) and ATP synthase to safeguard mitochondrial DNA homoplasmy by curtailing superoxide production. Whether the ATP synthase is inhibited is, however, unknown. Here we show that: oligomycin sensitive ATP synthase activity is significantly greater (~170 vs. 20 nmol/min-1/mg-1) in testes compared to oocytes in Xenopus laevis (X. laevis). Since ATP synthase activity is redox regulated, we explored a regulatory role for reversible thiol oxidation. If a protein thiol inhibits the ATP synthase, then constituent subunits must be reversibly oxidised. Catalyst-free trans-cyclooctene 6-methyltetrazine (TCO-Tz) immunocapture coupled to redox affinity blotting reveals several subunits in F1 (e.g., ATP-α-F1) and Fo (e.g., subunit c) are reversibly oxidised. Catalyst-free TCO-Tz Click PEGylation reveals significant (~60%) reversible ATP-α-F1 oxidation at two evolutionary conserved cysteine residues (C244 and C294) in oocytes. TCO-Tz Click PEGylation reveals ~20% of the total thiols in the ATP synthase are substantially oxidised. Chemically reversing thiol oxidation significantly increased oligomycin sensitive ATP synthase activity from ~12 to 100 nmol/min-1/mg-1 in oocytes. We conclude that reversible thiol oxidation inhibits the mitochondrial ATP synthase in X. laevis oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Cobley
- Centre for Health Sciences, University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness IV2 3JH, UK; (R.B.); (H.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anna Noble
- School of Biological Sciences, European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK; (A.N.); (M.G.)
| | - Rachel Bessell
- Centre for Health Sciences, University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness IV2 3JH, UK; (R.B.); (H.H.)
| | - Matthew Guille
- School of Biological Sciences, European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK; (A.N.); (M.G.)
| | - Holger Husi
- Centre for Health Sciences, University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness IV2 3JH, UK; (R.B.); (H.H.)
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Yang F, Wang W, Cetinbas M, Sadreyev RI, Blower MD. Genome-wide analysis identifies cis-acting elements regulating mRNA polyadenylation and translation during vertebrate oocyte maturation. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:324-344. [PMID: 31896558 PMCID: PMC7025505 DOI: 10.1261/rna.073247.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Most cells change patterns of gene expression through transcriptional regulation. In contrast, oocytes are transcriptionally silent and regulate mRNA poly(A) tail length to control protein production. However, the genome-wide relationship of poly(A) tail changes to mRNA translation during vertebrate oocyte maturation is not known. We used Tail-seq and polyribosome analysis to measure poly(A) tail and translational changes during oocyte maturation in Xenopus laevis We identified large-scale poly(A) and translational changes during oocyte maturation, with poly(A) tail length changes preceding translational changes. Proteins important for completion of the meiotic divisions and early development exhibited increased polyadenylation and translation during oocyte maturation. A family of U-rich sequence elements was enriched near the polyadenylation signal of polyadenylated and translationally activated mRNAs. We propose that changes in mRNA polyadenylation are a conserved mechanism regulating protein expression during vertebrate oocyte maturation and that these changes are controlled by a spatial code of cis-acting sequence elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Murat Cetinbas
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Ruslan I Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Michael D Blower
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Singh MD, Jensen M, Lasser M, Huber E, Yusuff T, Pizzo L, Lifschutz B, Desai I, Kubina A, Yennawar S, Kim S, Iyer J, Rincon-Limas DE, Lowery LA, Girirajan S. NCBP2 modulates neurodevelopmental defects of the 3q29 deletion in Drosophila and Xenopus laevis models. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008590. [PMID: 32053595 PMCID: PMC7043793 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The 1.6 Mbp deletion on chromosome 3q29 is associated with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, microcephaly, and intellectual disability. Despite its importance towards neurodevelopment, the role of individual genes, genetic interactions, and disrupted biological mechanisms underlying the deletion have not been thoroughly characterized. Here, we used quantitative methods to assay Drosophila melanogaster and Xenopus laevis models with tissue-specific individual and pairwise knockdown of 14 homologs of genes within the 3q29 region. We identified developmental, cellular, and neuronal phenotypes for multiple homologs of 3q29 genes, potentially due to altered apoptosis and cell cycle mechanisms during development. Using the fly eye, we screened for 314 pairwise knockdowns of homologs of 3q29 genes and identified 44 interactions between pairs of homologs and 34 interactions with other neurodevelopmental genes. Interestingly, NCBP2 homologs in Drosophila (Cbp20) and X. laevis (ncbp2) enhanced the phenotypes of homologs of the other 3q29 genes, leading to significant increases in apoptosis that disrupted cellular organization and brain morphology. These cellular and neuronal defects were rescued with overexpression of the apoptosis inhibitors Diap1 and xiap in both models, suggesting that apoptosis is one of several potential biological mechanisms disrupted by the deletion. NCBP2 was also highly connected to other 3q29 genes in a human brain-specific interaction network, providing support for the relevance of our results towards the human deletion. Overall, our study suggests that NCBP2-mediated genetic interactions within the 3q29 region disrupt apoptosis and cell cycle mechanisms during development. Rare copy-number variants, or large deletions and duplications in the genome, are associated with a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders. The 3q29 deletion confers an increased risk for schizophrenia and autism. To understand the conserved biological mechanisms that are disrupted by this deletion, we systematically tested 14 individual homologs and 314 pairwise interactions of 3q29 genes for neuronal, cellular, and developmental phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster and Xenopus laevis models. We found that multiple homologs of genes within the deletion region contribute towards developmental defects, such as larval lethality and disrupted cellular organization. Interestingly, we found that NCBP2 acts as a key modifier gene within the region, enhancing the developmental phenotypes of each of the homologs for other 3q29 genes and leading to disruptions in apoptosis and cell cycle pathways. Our results suggest that multiple genes within the 3q29 region interact with each other through shared mechanisms and jointly contribute to neurodevelopmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayanglambam Dhruba Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Micaela Lasser
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Emily Huber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tanzeen Yusuff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lucilla Pizzo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Brian Lifschutz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Inshya Desai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alexis Kubina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sneha Yennawar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sydney Kim
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Janani Iyer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Diego E Rincon-Limas
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Laura Anne Lowery
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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44
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Sim HJ, Yun S, Kim HE, Kwon KY, Kim GH, Yun S, Kim BG, Myung K, Park TJ, Kwon T. Simple Method To Characterize the Ciliary Proteome of Multiciliated Cells. J Proteome Res 2019; 19:391-400. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gun-Hwa Kim
- Drug & Disease Target Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KSBI), Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28119, Republic of Korea
- Tunneling Nanotube Research Center, Division of Life Science, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungho Yun
- Drug & Disease Target Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KSBI), Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 28119, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Gyu Kim
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungjae Myung
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Joo Park
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Taejoon Kwon
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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45
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Cobley JN, Noble A, Jimenez-Fernandez E, Valdivia Moya MT, Guille M, Husi H. Catalyst-free Click PEGylation reveals substantial mitochondrial ATP synthase sub-unit alpha oxidation before and after fertilisation. Redox Biol 2019; 26:101258. [PMID: 31234016 PMCID: PMC6597785 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Using non-reducing Western blotting to assess protein thiol redox state is challenging because most reduced and oxidised forms migrate at the same molecular weight and are, therefore, indistinguishable. While copper catalysed Click chemistry can be used to ligate a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety termed Click PEGylation to mass shift the reduced or oxidised form as desired, the potential for copper catalysed auto-oxidation is problematic. Here we define a catalyst-free trans-cyclooctene-methyltetrazine (TCO-Tz) inverse electron demand Diels Alder chemistry approach that affords rapid (k ~2000 M-1 s-1), selective and bio-orthogonal Click PEGylation. We used TCO-Tz Click PEGylation to investigate how fertilisation impacts reversible mitochondrial ATP synthase F1-Fo sub-unit alpha (ATP-α-F1) oxidation-an established molecular correlate of impaired enzyme activity-in Xenopus laevis. TCO-Tz Click PEGylation studies reveal substantial (~65%) reversible ATP-α-F1 oxidation at evolutionary conserved cysteine residues (i.e., C244 and C294) before and after fertilisation. A single thiol is, however, preferentially oxidised likely due to greater solvent exposure during the catalytic cycle. Selective reduction experiments show that: S-glutathionylation accounts for ~50-60% of the reversible oxidation observed, making it the dominant oxidative modification type. Intermolecular disulphide bonds may also contribute due to their relative stability. Substantial reversible ATP-α-F1 oxidation before and after fertilisation is biologically meaningful because it implies low mitochondrial F1-Fo ATP synthase activity. Catalyst-free TCO-Tz Click PEGylation is a valuable new tool to interrogate protein thiol redox state in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James N Cobley
- Free Radical Research Group, University of the Highlands and Islands, Centre for Health Sciences, Inverness, IV2 3JH, UK.
| | - Anna Noble
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, School of Biological Sciences, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Eduardo Jimenez-Fernandez
- Free Radical Research Group, University of the Highlands and Islands, Centre for Health Sciences, Inverness, IV2 3JH, UK
| | - Manuel-Thomas Valdivia Moya
- Free Radical Research Group, University of the Highlands and Islands, Centre for Health Sciences, Inverness, IV2 3JH, UK
| | - Matthew Guille
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, University of Portsmouth, School of Biological Sciences, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Holger Husi
- Free Radical Research Group, University of the Highlands and Islands, Centre for Health Sciences, Inverness, IV2 3JH, UK
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46
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Mitros T, Lyons JB, Session AM, Jenkins J, Shu S, Kwon T, Lane M, Ng C, Grammer TC, Khokha MK, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Harland RM, Rokhsar DS. A chromosome-scale genome assembly and dense genetic map for Xenopus tropicalis. Dev Biol 2019; 452:8-20. [PMID: 30980799 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis is a diploid model system for both frog genetics and developmental biology, complementary to the paleotetraploid X. laevis. Here we report a chromosome-scale assembly of the X. tropicalis genome, improving the previously published draft genome assembly through the use of new assembly algorithms, additional sequence data, and the addition of a dense genetic map. The improved genome enables the mapping of specific traits (e.g., the sex locus or Mendelian mutants) and the characterization of chromosome-scale synteny with other tetrapods. We also report an improved annotation of the genome that integrates deep transcriptome sequence from diverse tissues and stages. The exon-intron structures of these genes are highly conserved relative to both X. laevis and human, as are chromosomal linkages ("synteny") and local gene order. A network analysis of developmental gene expression will aid future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Mitros
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Jessica B Lyons
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Adam M Session
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Dr # 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA.
| | - Jerry Jenkins
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Dr # 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA.
| | - Shengquiang Shu
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Dr # 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA.
| | - Taejoon Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
| | - Maura Lane
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, FMP 410, 333 Cedar St./LCI 305, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Connie Ng
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Timothy C Grammer
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Mustafa K Khokha
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, FMP 410, 333 Cedar St./LCI 305, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Jane Grimwood
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Dr # 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA.
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Dr # 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA.
| | - Richard M Harland
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Daniel S Rokhsar
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA; Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Dr # 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; Molecular Genetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 9040495, Japan.
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47
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Zhou X, Zhang Y, Michal JJ, Qu L, Zhang S, Wildung MR, Du W, Pouchnik DJ, Zhao H, Xia Y, Shi H, Ji G, Davis JF, Smith GD, Griswold MD, Harland RM, Jiang Z. Alternative polyadenylation coordinates embryonic development, sexual dimorphism and longitudinal growth in Xenopus tropicalis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:2185-2198. [PMID: 30729254 PMCID: PMC6597005 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03036-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
RNA alternative polyadenylation contributes to the complexity of information transfer from genome to phenome, thus amplifying gene function. Here, we report the first X. tropicalis resource with 127,914 alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites derived from embryos and adults. Overall, APA networks play central roles in coordinating the maternal-zygotic transition (MZT) in embryos, sexual dimorphism in adults and longitudinal growth from embryos to adults. APA sites coordinate reprogramming in embryos before the MZT, but developmental events after the MZT due to zygotic genome activation. The APA transcriptomes of young adults are more variable than growing adults and male frog APA transcriptomes are more divergent than females. The APA profiles of young females were similar to embryos before the MZT. Enriched pathways in developing embryos were distinct across the MZT and noticeably segregated from adults. Briefly, our results suggest that the minimal functional units in genomes are alternative transcripts as opposed to genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhou
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA
- College of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yangzi Zhang
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA
| | - Jennifer J Michal
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA
| | - Lujiang Qu
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuwen Zhang
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA
| | - Mark R Wildung
- Laboratory for Biotechnology and Bioanalysis, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Weiwei Du
- Laboratory for Biotechnology and Bioanalysis, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Derek J Pouchnik
- Laboratory for Biotechnology and Bioanalysis, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Hui Zhao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yin Xia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Honghua Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoli Ji
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jon F Davis
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Gary D Smith
- Departments of OB/GYN, Physiology, and Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael D Griswold
- Laboratory for Biotechnology and Bioanalysis, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Zhihua Jiang
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA.
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Horb M, Wlizla M, Abu-Daya A, McNamara S, Gajdasik D, Igawa T, Suzuki A, Ogino H, Noble A, Robert J, James-Zorn C, Guille M. Xenopus Resources: Transgenic, Inbred and Mutant Animals, Training Opportunities, and Web-Based Support. Front Physiol 2019; 10:387. [PMID: 31073289 PMCID: PMC6497014 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Two species of the clawed frog family, Xenopus laevis and X. tropicalis, are widely used as tools to investigate both normal and disease-state biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, and developmental biology. To support both frog specialist and non-specialist scientists needing access to these models for their research, a number of centralized resources exist around the world. These include centers that hold live and frozen stocks of transgenic, inbred and mutant animals and centers that hold molecular resources. This infrastructure is supported by a model organism database. Here, we describe much of this infrastructure and encourage the community to make the best use of it and to guide the resource centers in developing new lines and libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Horb
- National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Marcin Wlizla
- National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Anita Abu-Daya
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Sean McNamara
- National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Dominika Gajdasik
- School of Biological Sciences, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Takeshi Igawa
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - Atsushi Suzuki
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - Hajime Ogino
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - Anna Noble
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Christina James-Zorn
- Xenbase, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Matthew Guille
- European Xenopus Resource Centre, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
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49
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Wang CD, Guo XF, Wong TCB, Wang H, Qi XF, Cai DQ, Deng Y, Zhao H. Developmental expression of three prmt genes in Xenopus. Zool Res 2019; 40:102-107. [PMID: 30127333 PMCID: PMC6378560 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are involved in many cellular processes via the arginine methylation of histone or non-histone proteins. We examined the expression patterns of prmt4, prmt7, and prmt9 during embryogenesis in Xenopus using whole-mount in situ hybridization and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Xenopus prmt4 and prmt7 were expressed in the neural crest, brain, and spinal cord, and also detected in the eye, branchial arches, and heart at the tailbud stage. Specific prmt9 signals were not detected in Xenopus embryos until the late tailbud stage when weak expression was observed in the branchial arches. Quantitative RT-PCR indicated that the expressions of prmt4 and prmt7 were up-regulated during the neurula stage, whereas prmt9 maintained its low expression until the late tailbud stage, consistent with the whole-mount in situ hybridization results. Thus, the developmental expression patterns of these three prmt genes in Xenopus embryos provide a basis for further functional study of such genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao-Fang Guo
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510632, China
- Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Thomas Chi Bun Wong
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xu-Feng Qi
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510632, China
- Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Dong-Qing Cai
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510632, China
- Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yi Deng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Department of Biology, South University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; E-mail:
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-The Chinese University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, Hong Kong SAR, China
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50
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Del Pino EM. Embryogenesis of Marsupial Frogs (Hemiphractidae), and the Changes that Accompany Terrestrial Development in Frogs. Results Probl Cell Differ 2019; 68:379-418. [PMID: 31598865 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23459-1_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The developmental adaptations of the marsupial frogs Gastrotheca riobambae and Flectonotus pygmaeus (Hemiphractidae) are described and compared with frogs belonging to seven additional families. Incubation of embryos by the mother in marsupial frogs is associated with changes in the anatomy and physiology of the female, modifications of oogenesis, and extraordinary changes in embryonic development. The comparison of early development reveals that gene expression is highly conserved. However, the timing of gene expression varies between frog species. There are two modes of gastrulation according to the onset of convergent extension. In gastrulation mode 1, convergent extension is an intrinsic mechanism of gastrulation. This gastrulation mode occurs in frogs with aquatic reproduction, such as Xenopus laevis. In gastrulation mode 2, convergent extension occurs after the completion of gastrulation movements. Gastrulation mode 2 occurs in frogs with terrestrial reproduction, such as the marsupial frog, G. riobambae. The two modes of frog gastrulation resemble the two transitions toward meroblastic cleavage of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). The comparison indicates that a major event in the evolution of frog terrestrial development is the separation of convergent extension from gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia M Del Pino
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
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