1
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Deng Z, Carpinelli MR, Butt T, Magor GW, Zhao P, Gillinder KR, Perkins AC, Jane SM. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals the cellular identity of a novel progenitor population crucial for murine neural tube closure. Heliyon 2024; 10:e37259. [PMID: 39296075 PMCID: PMC11408003 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural tube closure in vertebrates is achieved through a highly dynamic and coordinated series of morphogenic events involving neuroepithelium, surface ectoderm, and neural plate border. Failure of this process in the caudal region causes spina bifida. Grainyhead-like 3 (GRHL3) is an indispensable transcription factor for neural tube closure as constitutive inactivation of the Grhl3 gene in mice leads to fully penetrant spina bifida. Here, through single-cell transcriptomics we show that at E8.5, the time-point preceding mouse neural tube closure, co-expression of Grhl3, Tfap2a, and Tfap2c defines a previously unrecognised progenitor population of surface ectoderm integral for neural tube closure. Deletion of Grhl3 expression in this cell population using a Tfap2a-Cre transgene recapitulates the spina bifida observed in Grhl3-null animals. Moreover, conditional inactivation of Tfap2c expression in Grhl3-expressing neural plate border cells also induces spina bifida. These findings indicate that a specific neural plate border cellular cohort is required for the early-stage neurulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Deng
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Marina R Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Tariq Butt
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Graham W Magor
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Peinan Zhao
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Kevin R Gillinder
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Genetic Medicine and North-East England Stem Cell Institute, Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C Perkins
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Stephen M Jane
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
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2
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Chatzi D, Kyriakoudi SA, Dermitzakis I, Manthou ME, Meditskou S, Theotokis P. Clinical and Genetic Correlation in Neurocristopathies: Bridging a Precision Medicine Gap. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2223. [PMID: 38673496 PMCID: PMC11050951 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13082223] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurocristopathies (NCPs) encompass a spectrum of disorders arising from issues during the formation and migration of neural crest cells (NCCs). NCCs undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upon key developmental gene deregulation, fetuses and neonates are prone to exhibit diverse manifestations depending on the affected area. These conditions are generally rare and often have a genetic basis, with many following Mendelian inheritance patterns, thus making them perfect candidates for precision medicine. Examples include cranial NCPs, like Goldenhar syndrome and Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome; cardiac-vagal NCPs, such as DiGeorge syndrome; truncal NCPs, like congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome; and enteric NCPs, such as Hirschsprung disease. Additionally, NCCs' migratory and differentiating nature makes their derivatives prone to tumors, with various cancer types categorized based on their NCC origin. Representative examples include schwannomas and pheochromocytomas. This review summarizes current knowledge of diseases arising from defects in NCCs' specification and highlights the potential of precision medicine to remedy a clinical phenotype by targeting the genotype, particularly important given that those affected are primarily infants and young children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Paschalis Theotokis
- Department of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.C.); (S.A.K.); (I.D.); (M.E.M.); (S.M.)
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3
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Nguyen TT, Mitchell JM, Kiel MD, Kenny CP, Li H, Jones KL, Cornell RA, Williams TJ, Nichols JT, Van Otterloo E. TFAP2 paralogs regulate midfacial development in part through a conserved ALX genetic pathway. Development 2024; 151:dev202095. [PMID: 38063857 PMCID: PMC10820886 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202095] [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: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Cranial neural crest development is governed by positional gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Fine-tuning of the GRN components underlies facial shape variation, yet how those networks in the midface are connected and activated remain poorly understood. Here, we show that concerted inactivation of Tfap2a and Tfap2b in the murine neural crest, even during the late migratory phase, results in a midfacial cleft and skeletal abnormalities. Bulk and single-cell RNA-seq profiling reveal that loss of both TFAP2 family members dysregulates numerous midface GRN components involved in midface morphogenesis, patterning and differentiation. Notably, Alx1, Alx3 and Alx4 (ALX) transcript levels are reduced, whereas ChIP-seq analyses suggest TFAP2 family members directly and positively regulate ALX gene expression. Tfap2a, Tfap2b and ALX co-expression in midfacial neural crest cells of both mouse and zebrafish implies conservation of this regulatory axis across vertebrates. Consistent with this notion, tfap2a zebrafish mutants present with abnormal alx3 expression patterns, Tfap2a binds ALX loci and tfap2a-alx3 genetic interactions are observed. Together, these data demonstrate TFAP2 paralogs regulate vertebrate midfacial development in part by activating expression of ALX transcription factor genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy T. Nguyen
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Jennyfer M. Mitchell
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michaela D. Kiel
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Colin P. Kenny
- Department of Surgery, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kenneth L. Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Robert A. Cornell
- Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Trevor J. Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - James T. Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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4
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Thawani A, Maunsell HR, Zhang H, Ankamreddy H, Groves AK. The Foxi3 transcription factor is necessary for the fate restriction of placodal lineages at the neural plate border. Development 2023; 150:dev202047. [PMID: 37756587 PMCID: PMC10617604 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The Foxi3 transcription factor, expressed in the neural plate border at the end of gastrulation, is necessary for the formation of posterior placodes and is thus important for ectodermal patterning. We have created two knock-in mouse lines expressing GFP or a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase to show that Foxi3 is one of the earliest genes to label the border between the neural tube and epidermis, and that Foxi3-expressing neural plate border progenitors contribute primarily to cranial placodes and epidermis from the onset of expression, but not to the neural crest or neural tube lineages. By simultaneously knocking out Foxi3 in neural plate border cells and following their fates, we show that neural plate border cells lacking Foxi3 contribute to all four lineages of the ectoderm - placodes, epidermis, crest and neural tube. We contrast Foxi3 with another neural plate border transcription factor, Zic5, the progenitors of which initially contribute broadly to all germ layers until gastrulation and gradually become restricted to the neural crest lineage and dorsal neural tube cells. Our study demonstrates that Foxi3 uniquely acts early at the neural plate border to restrict progenitors to a placodal and epidermal fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Thawani
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Helen R. Maunsell
- Program in Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hongyuan Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Andrew K. Groves
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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5
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Liu K, Xiao Y, Gan L, Li W, Zhang J, Min J. Structural basis for specific DNA sequence motif recognition by the TFAP2 transcription factors. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8270-8282. [PMID: 37409559 PMCID: PMC10450164 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The TFAP2 family regulates gene expression during differentiation, development, and organogenesis, and includes five homologs in humans. They all possess a highly conserved DNA binding domain (DBD) followed by a helix-span-helix (HSH) domain. The DBD-HSH tandem domain specifically binds to a GCC(N3)GGC consensus sequence, but the precise recognition mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we found that TFAP2 preferred binding to the GCC(N3)GGC sequence, and the pseudo-palindromic GCC and GGC motifs and the length of the central spacer between the two motifs determined their binding specificity. Structural studies revealed that the two flat amphipathic α-helical HSH domains of TFAP2A stacked with each other to form a dimer via hydrophobic interactions, while the stabilized loops from both DBD domains inserted into two neighboring major grooves of the DNA duplex to form base-specific interactions. This specific DNA binding mechanism controlled the length of the central spacer and determined the DNA sequence specificity of TFAP2. Mutations of the TFAP2 proteins are implicated in various diseases. We illustrated that reduction or disruption of the DNA binding ability of the TFAP2 proteins is the primary cause of TFAP2 mutation-associated diseases. Thus, our findings also offer valuable insights into the pathogenesis of disease-associated mutations in TFAP2 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Yuqing Xiao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Linyao Gan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Weifang Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Jinrong Min
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
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6
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Castillo-Venzor A, Penfold CA, Morgan MD, Tang WW, Kobayashi T, Wong FC, Bergmann S, Slatery E, Boroviak TE, Marioni JC, Surani MA. Origin and segregation of the human germline. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201706. [PMID: 37217306 PMCID: PMC10203729 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human germline-soma segregation occurs during weeks 2-3 in gastrulating embryos. Although direct studies are hindered, here, we investigate the dynamics of human primordial germ cell (PGCs) specification using in vitro models with temporally resolved single-cell transcriptomics and in-depth characterisation using in vivo datasets from human and nonhuman primates, including a 3D marmoset reference atlas. We elucidate the molecular signature for the transient gain of competence for germ cell fate during peri-implantation epiblast development. Furthermore, we show that both the PGCs and amnion arise from transcriptionally similar TFAP2A-positive progenitors at the posterior end of the embryo. Notably, genetic loss of function experiments shows that TFAP2A is crucial for initiating the PGC fate without detectably affecting the amnion and is subsequently replaced by TFAP2C as an essential component of the genetic network for PGC fate. Accordingly, amniotic cells continue to emerge from the progenitors in the posterior epiblast, but importantly, this is also a source of nascent PGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aracely Castillo-Venzor
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher A Penfold
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael D Morgan
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Walfred Wc Tang
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Toshihiro Kobayashi
- Division of Mammalian Embryology, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Frederick Ck Wong
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sophie Bergmann
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erin Slatery
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thorsten E Boroviak
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - M Azim Surani
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Nguyen TT, Mitchell JM, Kiel MD, Jones KL, Williams TJ, Nichols JT, Van Otterloo E. TFAP2 paralogs regulate midfacial development in part through a conserved ALX genetic pathway. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545376. [PMID: 37398373 PMCID: PMC10312788 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Cranial neural crest development is governed by positional gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Fine-tuning of the GRN components underly facial shape variation, yet how those in the midface are connected and activated remain poorly understood. Here, we show that concerted inactivation of Tfap2a and Tfap2b in the murine neural crest even during the late migratory phase results in a midfacial cleft and skeletal abnormalities. Bulk and single-cell RNA-seq profiling reveal that loss of both Tfap2 members dysregulated numerous midface GRN components involved in midface fusion, patterning, and differentiation. Notably, Alx1/3/4 (Alx) transcript levels are reduced, while ChIP-seq analyses suggest TFAP2 directly and positively regulates Alx gene expression. TFAP2 and ALX co-expression in midfacial neural crest cells of both mouse and zebrafish further implies conservation of this regulatory axis across vertebrates. Consistent with this notion, tfap2a mutant zebrafish present abnormal alx3 expression patterns, and the two genes display a genetic interaction in this species. Together, these data demonstrate a critical role for TFAP2 in regulating vertebrate midfacial development in part through ALX transcription factor gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy T Nguyen
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Jennyfer M Mitchell
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michaela D Kiel
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Trevor J Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - James T Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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8
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Koontz A, Urrutia HA, Bronner ME. Making a head: Neural crest and ectodermal placodes in cranial sensory development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 138:15-27. [PMID: 35760729 PMCID: PMC10224775 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
During development of the vertebrate sensory system, many important components like the sense organs and cranial sensory ganglia arise within the head and neck. Two progenitor populations, the neural crest, and cranial ectodermal placodes, contribute to these developing vertebrate peripheral sensory structures. The interactions and contributions of these cell populations to the development of the lens, olfactory, otic, pituitary gland, and cranial ganglia are vital for appropriate peripheral nervous system development. Here, we review the origins of both neural crest and placode cells at the neural plate border of the early vertebrate embryo and investigate the molecular and environmental signals that influence specification of different sensory regions. Finally, we discuss the underlying molecular pathways contributing to the complex vertebrate sensory system from an evolutionary perspective, from basal vertebrates to amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Koontz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Hugo A Urrutia
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Marianne E Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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9
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Collier AE, Piekos SN, Liu A, Pattison JM, Felix F, Bailetti AA, Sedov E, Gaddam S, Zhen H, Oro AE. GRHL2 and AP2a coordinate early surface ectoderm lineage commitment during development. iScience 2023; 26:106125. [PMID: 36843855 PMCID: PMC9950457 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectodermal dysplasias including skin abnormalities and cleft lip/palate result from improper surface ectoderm (SE) patterning. However, the connection between SE gene regulatory networks and disease remains poorly understood. Here, we dissect human SE differentiation with multiomics and establish GRHL2 as a key mediator of early SE commitment, which acts by skewing cell fate away from the neural lineage. GRHL2 and master SE regulator AP2a balance early cell fate output, with GRHL2 facilitating AP2a binding to SE loci. In turn, AP2a restricts GRHL2 DNA binding away from de novo chromatin contacts. Integration of these regulatory sites with ectodermal dysplasia-associated genomic variants annotated within the Biomedical Data Commons identifies 55 loci previously implicated in craniofacial disorders. These include ABCA4/ARHGAP29 and NOG regulatory regions where disease-linked variants directly affect GRHL2/AP2a binding and gene transcription. These studies elucidate the logic underlying SE commitment and deepen our understanding of human oligogenic disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E. Collier
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Samantha N. Piekos
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Angela Liu
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Franco Felix
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Egor Sedov
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Sadhana Gaddam
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Hanson Zhen
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Anthony E. Oro
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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10
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Norcross RG, Abdelmoti L, Rouchka EC, Andreeva K, Tussey O, Landestoy D, Galperin E. Shoc2 controls ERK1/2-driven neural crest development by balancing components of the extracellular matrix. Dev Biol 2022; 492:156-171. [PMID: 36265687 PMCID: PMC10019579 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.10.010] [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] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) pathway is essential in embryonic development. The scaffold protein Shoc2 is a critical modulator of ERK1/2 signals, and mutations in the shoc2 gene lead to the human developmental disease known as Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NSLH). The loss of Shoc2 and the shoc2 NSLH-causing mutations affect the tissues of neural crest (NC) origin. In this study, we utilized the zebrafish model to dissect the role of Shoc2-ERK1/2 signals in the development of NC. These studies established that the loss of Shoc2 significantly altered the expression of transcription factors regulating the specification and differentiation of NC cells. Using comparative transcriptome analysis of NC-derived cells from shoc2 CRISPR/Cas9 mutant larvae, we found that Shoc2-mediated signals regulate gene programs at several levels, including expression of genes coding for the proteins of extracellular matrix (ECM) and ECM regulators. Together, our results demonstrate that Shoc2 is an essential regulator of NC development. This study also indicates that disbalance in the turnover of the ECM may lead to the abnormalities found in NSLH patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G Norcross
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Lina Abdelmoti
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Eric C Rouchka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; KY INBRE Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Kalina Andreeva
- KY INBRE Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; Department of Neuroscience Training, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Olivia Tussey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Daileen Landestoy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Emilia Galperin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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11
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Hovland AS, Bhattacharya D, Azambuja AP, Pramio D, Copeland J, Rothstein M, Simoes-Costa M. Pluripotency factors are repurposed to shape the epigenomic landscape of neural crest cells. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2257-2272.e5. [PMID: 36182685 PMCID: PMC9743141 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Yamanaka factors are essential for establishing pluripotency in embryonic stem cells, but their function in multipotent stem cell populations is poorly understood. Here, we show that OCT4 and SOX2 cooperate with tissue-specific transcription factors to promote neural crest formation. By assessing avian and human neural crest cells at distinct developmental stages, we characterized the epigenomic changes that occur during their specification, migration, and early differentiation. This analysis determined that the OCT4-SOX2 dimer is required to establish a neural crest epigenomic signature that is lost upon cell fate commitment. The OCT4-SOX2 genomic targets in the neural crest differ from those of embryonic stem cells, indicating the dimer displays context-specific functions. Binding of OCT4-SOX2 to neural crest enhancers requires pioneer factor TFAP2A, which physically interacts with the dimer to modify its genomic targets. Our results demonstrate how Yamanaka factors are repurposed in multipotent cells to control chromatin organization and define their developmental potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin S Hovland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | | | - Ana Paula Azambuja
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dimitrius Pramio
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacqueline Copeland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Megan Rothstein
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marcos Simoes-Costa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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12
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Candido-Ferreira IL, Lukoseviciute M, Sauka-Spengler T. Multi-layered transcriptional control of cranial neural crest development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 138:1-14. [PMID: 35941042 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The neural crest (NC) is an emblematic population of embryonic stem-like cells with remarkable migratory ability. These distinctive attributes have inspired the curiosity of developmental biologists for over 150 years, however only recently the regulatory mechanisms controlling the complex features of the NC have started to become elucidated at genomic scales. Regulatory control of NC development is achieved through combinatorial transcription factor binding and recruitment of associated transcriptional complexes to distal cis-regulatory elements. Together, they regulate when, where and to what extent transcriptional programmes are actively deployed, ultimately shaping ontogenetic processes. Here, we discuss how transcriptional networks control NC ontogeny, with a special emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying specification of the cephalic NC. We also cover emerging properties of transcriptional regulation revealed in diverse developmental systems, such as the role of three-dimensional conformation of chromatin, and how they are involved in the regulation of NC ontogeny. Finally, we highlight how advances in deciphering the NC transcriptional network have afforded new insights into the molecular basis of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan L Candido-Ferreira
- University of Oxford, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Martyna Lukoseviciute
- University of Oxford, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Tatjana Sauka-Spengler
- University of Oxford, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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13
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Collier A, Liu A, Torkelson J, Pattison J, Gaddam S, Zhen H, Patel T, McCarthy K, Ghanim H, Oro AE. Gibbin mesodermal regulation patterns epithelial development. Nature 2022; 606:188-196. [PMID: 35585237 PMCID: PMC9202145 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04727-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Proper ectodermal patterning during human development requires previously identified transcription factors such as GATA3 and p63, as well as positional signalling from regional mesoderm1-6. However, the mechanism by which ectoderm and mesoderm factors act to stably pattern gene expression and lineage commitment remains unclear. Here we identify the protein Gibbin, encoded by the Xia-Gibbs AT-hook DNA-binding-motif-containing 1 (AHDC1) disease gene7-9, as a key regulator of early epithelial morphogenesis. We find that enhancer- or promoter-bound Gibbin interacts with dozens of sequence-specific zinc-finger transcription factors and methyl-CpG-binding proteins to regulate the expression of mesoderm genes. The loss of Gibbin causes an increase in DNA methylation at GATA3-dependent mesodermal genes, resulting in a loss of signalling between developing dermal and epidermal cell types. Notably, Gibbin-mutant human embryonic stem-cell-derived skin organoids lack dermal maturation, resulting in p63-expressing basal cells that possess defective keratinocyte stratification. In vivo chimeric CRISPR mouse mutants reveal a spectrum of Gibbin-dependent developmental patterning defects affecting craniofacial structure, abdominal wall closure and epidermal stratification that mirror patient phenotypes. Our results indicate that the patterning phenotypes seen in Xia-Gibbs and related syndromes derive from abnormal mesoderm maturation as a result of gene-specific DNA methylation decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Collier
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Angela Liu
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Torkelson
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jillian Pattison
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sadhana Gaddam
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hanson Zhen
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany Patel
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kelly McCarthy
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hana Ghanim
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anthony E Oro
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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14
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Kenny C, Dilshat R, Seberg HE, Van Otterloo E, Bonde G, Helverson A, Franke CM, Steingrímsson E, Cornell RA. TFAP2 paralogs facilitate chromatin access for MITF at pigmentation and cell proliferation genes. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010207. [PMID: 35580127 PMCID: PMC9159589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In developing melanocytes and in melanoma cells, multiple paralogs of the Activating-enhancer-binding Protein 2 family of transcription factors (TFAP2) contribute to expression of genes encoding pigmentation regulators, but their interaction with Microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF), a master regulator of these cells, is unclear. Supporting the model that TFAP2 facilitates MITF's ability to activate expression of pigmentation genes, single-cell seq analysis of zebrafish embryos revealed that pigmentation genes are only expressed in the subset of mitfa-expressing cells that also express tfap2 paralogs. To test this model in SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells we deleted the two TFAP2 paralogs with highest expression, TFAP2A and TFAP2C, creating TFAP2 knockout (TFAP2-KO) cells. We then assessed gene expression, chromatin accessibility, binding of TFAP2A and of MITF, and the chromatin marks H3K27Ac and H3K27Me3 which are characteristic of active enhancers and silenced chromatin, respectively. Integrated analyses of these datasets indicate TFAP2 paralogs directly activate enhancers near genes enriched for roles in pigmentation and proliferation, and directly repress enhancers near genes enriched for roles in cell adhesion. Consistently, compared to WT cells, TFAP2-KO cells proliferate less and adhere to one another more. TFAP2 paralogs and MITF co-operatively activate a subset of enhancers, with the former necessary for MITF binding and chromatin accessibility. By contrast, TFAP2 paralogs and MITF do not appear to co-operatively inhibit enhancers. These studies reveal a mechanism by which TFAP2 profoundly influences the set of genes activated by MITF, and thereby the phenotype of pigment cells and melanoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Kenny
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Ramile Dilshat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BioMedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Hannah E. Seberg
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Gregory Bonde
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Annika Helverson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Franke
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Eiríkur Steingrímsson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BioMedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Robert A. Cornell
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
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15
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Van Otterloo E, Milanda I, Pike H, Thompson JA, Li H, Jones KL, Williams T. AP-2α and AP-2β cooperatively function in the craniofacial surface ectoderm to regulate chromatin and gene expression dynamics during facial development. eLife 2022; 11:e70511. [PMID: 35333176 PMCID: PMC9038197 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The facial surface ectoderm is essential for normal development of the underlying cranial neural crest cell populations, providing signals that direct appropriate growth, patterning, and morphogenesis. Despite the importance of the ectoderm as a signaling center, the molecular cues and genetic programs implemented within this tissue are understudied. Here, we show that removal of two members of the AP-2 transcription factor family, AP-2α and AP-2ß, within the early embryonic ectoderm of the mouse leads to major alterations in the craniofacial complex. Significantly, there are clefts in both the upper face and mandible, accompanied by fusion of the upper and lower jaws in the hinge region. Comparison of ATAC-seq and RNA-seq analyses between controls and mutants revealed significant changes in chromatin accessibility and gene expression centered on multiple AP-2 binding motifs associated with enhancer elements within these ectodermal lineages. In particular, loss of these AP-2 proteins affects both skin differentiation as well as multiple signaling pathways, most notably the WNT pathway. We also determined that the mutant clefting phenotypes that correlated with reduced WNT signaling could be rescued by Wnt1 ligand overexpression in the ectoderm. Collectively, these findings highlight a conserved ancestral function for AP-2 transcription factors in ectodermal development and signaling, and provide a framework from which to understand the gene regulatory network operating within this tissue that directs vertebrate craniofacial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Van Otterloo
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Isaac Milanda
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Hamish Pike
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Jamie A Thompson
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Trevor Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital ColoradoAuroraUnited States
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16
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Dawes JHP, Kelsh RN. Cell Fate Decisions in the Neural Crest, from Pigment Cell to Neural Development. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13531. [PMID: 34948326 PMCID: PMC8706606 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural crest shows an astonishing multipotency, generating multiple neural derivatives, but also pigment cells, skeletogenic and other cell types. The question of how this process is controlled has been the subject of an ongoing debate for more than 35 years. Based upon new observations of zebrafish pigment cell development, we have recently proposed a novel, dynamic model that we believe goes some way to resolving the controversy. Here, we will firstly summarize the traditional models and the conflicts between them, before outlining our novel model. We will also examine our recent dynamic modelling studies, looking at how these reveal behaviors compatible with the biology proposed. We will then outline some of the implications of our model, looking at how it might modify our views of the processes of fate specification, differentiation, and commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan H. P. Dawes
- Centre for Networks and Collective Behaviour, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK;
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Robert N. Kelsh
- Centre for Mathematical Biology, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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17
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Zhang Q, Huang Z, Zuo H, Lin Y, Xiao Y, Yan Y, Cui Y, Lin C, Pei F, Chen Z, Liu H. Chromatin Accessibility Predetermines Odontoblast Terminal Differentiation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:769193. [PMID: 34901015 PMCID: PMC8655119 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.769193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic development and stem cell differentiation are orchestrated by changes in sequential binding of regulatory transcriptional factors to their motifs. These processes are invariably accompanied by the alternations in chromatin accessibility, conformation, and histone modification. Odontoblast lineage originates from cranial neural crest cells and is crucial in dentinogenesis. Our previous work revealed several transcription factors (TFs) that promote odontoblast differentiation. However, it remains elusive as to whether chromatin accessibility affects odontoblast terminal differentiation. Herein, integration of single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq revealed that in vitro odontoblast differentiation using dental papilla cells at E18.5 was comparable to the crown odontoblast differentiation trajectory of OC (osteocalcin)-positive odontogenic lineage. Before in vitro odontoblast differentiation, ATAC-seq and H3K27Ac CUT and Tag experiments demonstrated high accessibility of chromatin regions adjacent to genes associated with odontogenic potential. However, following odontoblastic induction, regions near mineralization-related genes became accessible. Integration of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq results further revealed that the expression levels of these genes were correlated with the accessibility of nearby chromatin. Time-course ATAC-seq experiments further demonstrated that odontoblast terminal differentiation was correlated with the occupation of the basic region/leucine zipper motif (bZIP) TF family, whereby we validated the positive role of ATF5 in vitro. Collectively, this study reports a global mapping of open chromatin regulatory elements during dentinogenesis and illustrates how these regions are regulated via dynamic binding of different TF families, resulting in odontoblast terminal differentiation. The findings also shed light on understanding the genetic regulation of dentin regeneration using dental mesenchymal stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neuro Biology, College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Huanyan Zuo
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuxiu Lin
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yao Xiao
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanan Yan
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neuro Biology, College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu Cui
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chujiao Lin
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Fei Pei
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huan Liu
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Periodontology, School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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18
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Campbell NR, Rao A, Hunter MV, Sznurkowska MK, Briker L, Zhang M, Baron M, Heilmann S, Deforet M, Kenny C, Ferretti LP, Huang TH, Perlee S, Garg M, Nsengimana J, Saini M, Montal E, Tagore M, Newton-Bishop J, Middleton MR, Corrie P, Adams DJ, Rabbie R, Aceto N, Levesque MP, Cornell RA, Yanai I, Xavier JB, White RM. Cooperation between melanoma cell states promotes metastasis through heterotypic cluster formation. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2808-2825.e10. [PMID: 34529939 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Melanomas can have multiple coexisting cell states, including proliferative (PRO) versus invasive (INV) subpopulations that represent a "go or grow" trade-off; however, how these populations interact is poorly understood. Using a combination of zebrafish modeling and analysis of patient samples, we show that INV and PRO cells form spatially structured heterotypic clusters and cooperate in the seeding of metastasis, maintaining cell state heterogeneity. INV cells adhere tightly to each other and form clusters with a rim of PRO cells. Intravital imaging demonstrated cooperation in which INV cells facilitate dissemination of less metastatic PRO cells. We identified the TFAP2 neural crest transcription factor as a master regulator of clustering and PRO/INV states. Isolation of clusters from patients with metastatic melanoma revealed a subset with heterotypic PRO-INV clusters. Our data suggest a framework for the co-existence of these two divergent cell populations, in which heterotypic clusters promote metastasis via cell-cell cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel R Campbell
- Weill Cornell/Rockefeller Memorial Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA; Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anjali Rao
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Miranda V Hunter
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Magdalena K Sznurkowska
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luzia Briker
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zürich Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maomao Zhang
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Maayan Baron
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Silja Heilmann
- Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Maxime Deforet
- Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Colin Kenny
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Lorenza P Ferretti
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zürich Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ting-Hsiang Huang
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sarah Perlee
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Manik Garg
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Jérémie Nsengimana
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds School of Medicine, Leeds, UK
| | - Massimo Saini
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Emily Montal
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mohita Tagore
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Julia Newton-Bishop
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds School of Medicine, Leeds, UK
| | - Mark R Middleton
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pippa Corrie
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - David J Adams
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Roy Rabbie
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; Experimental Cancer Genetics, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Nicola Aceto
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zürich Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert A Cornell
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Itai Yanai
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Joao B Xavier
- Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Richard M White
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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19
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Zebrafish Cdx4 regulates neural crest cell specification and migratory behaviors in the posterior body. Dev Biol 2021; 480:25-38. [PMID: 34389276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The neural crest (NC) is a transient multipotent cell population that migrates extensively to produce a remarkable array of vertebrate cell types. NC cell specification progresses in an anterior to posterior fashion, resulting in distinct, axial-restricted subpopulations. The anterior-most, cranial, population of NC is specified as gastrulation concludes and neurulation begins, while more posterior populations become specified as the body elongates. The mechanisms that govern development of the more posterior NC cells remain incompletely understood. Here, we report a key role for zebrafish Cdx4, a homeodomain transcription factor, in the development of posterior NC cells. We demonstrate that cdx4 is expressed in trunk NC cell progenitors, directly binds NC cell-specific enhancers in the NC GRN, and regulates expression of the key NC development gene foxd3 in the posterior body. Moreover, cdx4 mutants show disruptions to the segmental pattern of trunk NC cell migration due to loss of normal leader/follower cell dynamics. Finally, using cell transplantation to generate chimeric specimens, we show that Cdx4 does not function in the paraxial mesoderm-the environment adjacent to which crest migrates-to influence migratory behaviors. We conclude that cdx4 plays a critical, and likely tissue autonomous, role in the establishment of trunk NC migratory behaviors. Together, our results indicate that cdx4 functions as an early NC specifier gene in the posterior body of zebrafish embryos.
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20
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Olmsted ZT, Paluh JL. Co-development of central and peripheral neurons with trunk mesendoderm in human elongating multi-lineage organized gastruloids. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3020. [PMID: 34021144 PMCID: PMC8140076 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23294-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell technologies including self-assembling 3D tissue models provide access to early human neurodevelopment and fundamental insights into neuropathologies. Gastruloid models have not been used to investigate co-developing central and peripheral neuronal systems with trunk mesendoderm which we achieve here in elongating multi-lineage organized (EMLO) gastruloids. We evaluate EMLOs over a forty-day period, applying immunofluorescence of multi-lineage and functional biomarkers, including day 16 single-cell RNA-Seq, and evaluation of ectodermal and non-ectodermal neural crest cells (NCCs). We identify NCCs that differentiate to form peripheral neurons integrated with an upstream spinal cord region after day 8. This follows initial EMLO polarization events that coordinate with endoderm differentiation and primitive gut tube formation during multicellular spatial reorganization. This combined human central-peripheral nervous system model of early organogenesis highlights developmental events of mesendoderm and neuromuscular trunk regions and enables systemic studies of tissue interactions and innervation of neuromuscular, enteric and cardiac relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T Olmsted
- State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nanobioscience Constellation, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Janet L Paluh
- State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nanobioscience Constellation, Albany, NY, USA.
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21
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Woodruff ED, Gutierrez GC, Van Otterloo E, Williams T, Cohn MJ. Anomalous incisor morphology indicates tissue-specific roles for Tfap2a and Tfap2b in tooth development. Dev Biol 2021; 472:67-74. [PMID: 33460639 PMCID: PMC8018193 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.017] [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: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Mice possess two types of teeth that differ in their cusp patterns; incisors have one cusp and molars have multiple cusps. The patterning of these two types of teeth relies on fine-tuning of the reciprocal molecular signaling between dental epithelial and mesenchymal tissues during embryonic development. The AP-2 transcription factors, particularly Tfap2a and Tfap2b, are essential components of such epithelial-mesenchymal signaling interactions that coordinate craniofacial development in mice and other vertebrates, but little is known about their roles in the regulation of tooth development and shape. Here we demonstrate that incisors and molars differ in their temporal and spatial expression of Tfap2a and Tfap2b. At the bud stage, Tfap2a is expressed in both the epithelium and mesenchyme of the incisors and molars, but Tfap2b expression is restricted to the molar mesenchyme, only later appearing in the incisor epithelium. Tissue-specific deletions show that loss of the epithelial domain of Tfap2a and Tfap2b affects the number and spatial arrangement of the incisors, notably resulting in duplicated lower incisors. In contrast, deletion of these two genes in the mesenchymal domain has little effect on tooth development. Collectively these results implicate epithelial expression of Tfap2a and Tfap2b in regulating the extent of the dental lamina associated with patterning the incisors and suggest that these genes contribute to morphological differences between anterior (incisor) and posterior (molar) teeth within the mammalian dentition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily D Woodruff
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | | | - Eric Van Otterloo
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Trevor Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Martin J Cohn
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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22
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Soto J, Ding X, Wang A, Li S. Neural crest-like stem cells for tissue regeneration. Stem Cells Transl Med 2021; 10:681-693. [PMID: 33533168 PMCID: PMC8046096 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.20-0361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) are a transient population of cells that arise during early vertebrate development and harbor stem cell properties, such as self‐renewal and multipotency. These cells form at the interface of non‐neuronal ectoderm and neural tube and undergo extensive migration whereupon they contribute to a diverse array of cell and tissue derivatives, ranging from craniofacial tissues to cells of the peripheral nervous system. Neural crest‐like stem cells (NCLSCs) can be derived from pluripotent stem cells, placental tissues, adult tissues, and somatic cell reprogramming. NCLSCs have a differentiation capability similar to NCSCs, and possess great potential for regenerative medicine applications. In this review, we present recent developments on the various approaches to derive NCLSCs and the therapeutic application of these cells for tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Soto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xili Ding
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Aijun Wang
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, California, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Song Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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23
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Petratou K, Spencer SA, Kelsh RN, Lister JA. The MITF paralog tfec is required in neural crest development for fate specification of the iridophore lineage from a multipotent pigment cell progenitor. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244794. [PMID: 33439865 PMCID: PMC7806166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how fate specification of distinct cell-types from multipotent progenitors occurs is a fundamental question in embryology. Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) generate extraordinarily diverse derivatives, including multiple neural, skeletogenic and pigment cell fates. Key transcription factors and extracellular signals specifying NCSC lineages remain to be identified, and we have only a little idea of how and when they function together to control fate. Zebrafish have three neural crest-derived pigment cell types, black melanocytes, light-reflecting iridophores and yellow xanthophores, which offer a powerful model for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of fate segregation. Mitfa has been identified as the master regulator of melanocyte fate. Here, we show that an Mitf-related transcription factor, Tfec, functions as master regulator of the iridophore fate. Surprisingly, our phenotypic analysis of tfec mutants demonstrates that Tfec also functions in the initial specification of all three pigment cell-types, although the melanocyte and xanthophore lineages recover later. We show that Mitfa represses tfec expression, revealing a likely mechanism contributing to the decision between melanocyte and iridophore fate. Our data are consistent with the long-standing proposal of a tripotent progenitor restricted to pigment cell fates. Moreover, we investigate activation, maintenance and function of tfec in multipotent NCSCs, demonstrating for the first time its role in the gene regulatory network forming and maintaining early neural crest cells. In summary, we build on our previous work to characterise the gene regulatory network governing iridophore development, establishing Tfec as the master regulator driving iridophore specification from multipotent progenitors, while shedding light on possible cellular mechanisms of progressive fate restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleio Petratou
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha A. Spencer
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Robert N. Kelsh
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - James A. Lister
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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24
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Thawani A, Groves AK. Building the Border: Development of the Chordate Neural Plate Border Region and Its Derivatives. Front Physiol 2020; 11:608880. [PMID: 33364980 PMCID: PMC7750469 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.608880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The paired cranial sensory organs and peripheral nervous system of vertebrates arise from a thin strip of cells immediately adjacent to the developing neural plate. The neural plate border region comprises progenitors for four key populations of cells: neural plate cells, neural crest cells, the cranial placodes, and epidermis. Putative homologues of these neural plate border derivatives can be found in protochordates such as amphioxus and tunicates. In this review, we summarize key signaling pathways and transcription factors that regulate the inductive and patterning events at the neural plate border region that give rise to the neural crest and placodal lineages. Gene regulatory networks driven by signals from WNT, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling primarily dictate the formation of the crest and placodal lineages. We review these studies and discuss the potential of recent advances in spatio-temporal transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses that would allow a mechanistic understanding of how these signaling pathways and their downstream transcriptional cascades regulate the formation of the neural plate border region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Thawani
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Andrew K Groves
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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25
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Rogers KW, ElGamacy M, Jordan BM, Müller P. Optogenetic investigation of BMP target gene expression diversity. eLife 2020; 9:58641. [PMID: 33174840 PMCID: PMC7728441 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling molecules activate distinct patterns of gene expression to coordinate embryogenesis, but how spatiotemporal expression diversity is generated is an open question. In zebrafish, a BMP signaling gradient patterns the dorsal-ventral axis. We systematically identified target genes responding to BMP and found that they have diverse spatiotemporal expression patterns. Transcriptional responses to optogenetically delivered high- and low-amplitude BMP signaling pulses indicate that spatiotemporal expression is not fully defined by different BMP signaling activation thresholds. Additionally, we observed negligible correlations between spatiotemporal expression and transcription kinetics for the majority of analyzed genes in response to BMP signaling pulses. In contrast, spatial differences between BMP target genes largely collapsed when FGF and Nodal signaling were inhibited. Our results suggest that, similar to other patterning systems, combinatorial signaling is likely to be a major driver of spatial diversity in BMP-dependent gene expression in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W Rogers
- Systems Biology of Development Group, Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mohammad ElGamacy
- Systems Biology of Development Group, Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany.,Modeling Tumorigenesis Group, Translational Oncology Division, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Heliopolis Biotechnology Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin M Jordan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Patrick Müller
- Systems Biology of Development Group, Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany.,Modeling Tumorigenesis Group, Translational Oncology Division, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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26
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Weigele J, Bohnsack BL. Genetics Underlying the Interactions between Neural Crest Cells and Eye Development. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:jdb8040026. [PMID: 33182738 PMCID: PMC7712190 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8040026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural crest is a unique, transient stem cell population that is critical for craniofacial and ocular development. Understanding the genetics underlying the steps of neural crest development is essential for gaining insight into the pathogenesis of congenital eye diseases. The neural crest cells play an under-appreciated key role in patterning the neural epithelial-derived optic cup. These interactions between neural crest cells within the periocular mesenchyme and the optic cup, while not well-studied, are critical for optic cup morphogenesis and ocular fissure closure. As a result, microphthalmia and coloboma are common phenotypes in human disease and animal models in which neural crest cell specification and early migration are disrupted. In addition, neural crest cells directly contribute to numerous ocular structures including the cornea, iris, sclera, ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, and aqueous outflow tracts. Defects in later neural crest cell migration and differentiation cause a constellation of well-recognized ocular anterior segment anomalies such as Axenfeld–Rieger Syndrome and Peters Anomaly. This review will focus on the genetics of the neural crest cells within the context of how these complex processes specifically affect overall ocular development and can lead to congenital eye diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Weigele
- Division of Ophthalmology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 645 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Brenda L. Bohnsack
- Division of Ophthalmology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 645 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-312-227-6180; Fax: +1-312-227-9411
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27
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Bryan CD, Casey MA, Pfeiffer RL, Jones BW, Kwan KM. Optic cup morphogenesis requires neural crest-mediated basement membrane assembly. Development 2020; 147:dev181420. [PMID: 31988185 PMCID: PMC7044464 DOI: 10.1242/dev.181420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Organogenesis requires precise interactions between a developing tissue and its environment. In vertebrates, the developing eye is surrounded by a complex extracellular matrix as well as multiple mesenchymal cell populations. Disruptions to either the matrix or periocular mesenchyme can cause defects in early eye development, yet in many cases the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, using multidimensional imaging and computational analyses in zebrafish, we establish that cell movements in the developing optic cup require neural crest. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that basement membrane formation around the developing eye is also dependent on neural crest, but only specifically around the retinal pigment epithelium. Neural crest cells produce the extracellular matrix protein nidogen: impairing nidogen function disrupts eye development, and, strikingly, expression of nidogen in the absence of neural crest partially restores optic cup morphogenesis. These results demonstrate that eye formation is regulated in part by extrinsic control of extracellular matrix assembly.This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase D Bryan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Macaulie A Casey
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rebecca L Pfeiffer
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Bryan W Jones
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Kristen M Kwan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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28
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Tambalo M, Anwar M, Ahmed M, Streit A. Enhancer activation by FGF signalling during otic induction. Dev Biol 2020; 457:69-82. [PMID: 31539539 PMCID: PMC6902270 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate ear progenitors are induced by fibroblast growth factor signalling, however the molecular mechanisms leading to the coordinate activation of downstream targets are yet to be discovered. The ear, like other sensory placodes, arises from the pre-placodal region at the border of the neural plate. Using a multiplex NanoString approach, we determined the response of these progenitors to FGF signalling by examining the changes of more than 200 transcripts that define the otic and other placodes, neural crest and neural plate territories. This analysis identifies new direct and indirect FGF targets during otic induction. Investigating changes in histone marks by ChIP-seq reveals that FGF exposure of pre-placodal cells leads to rapid deposition of active chromatin marks H3K27ac near FGF-response genes, while H3K27ac is depleted in the vicinity of non-otic genes. Genomic regions that gain H3K27ac act as cis-regulatory elements controlling otic gene expression in time and space and define a unique transcription factor signature likely to control their activity. Finally, we show that in response to FGF signalling the transcription factor dimer AP1 recruits the histone acetyl transferase p300 to selected otic enhancers. Thus, during ear induction FGF signalling modifies the chromatin landscape to promote enhancer activation and chromatin accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Tambalo
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Maryam Anwar
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Mohi Ahmed
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Andrea Streit
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
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29
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Rothstein M, Simoes-Costa M. Heterodimerization of TFAP2 pioneer factors drives epigenomic remodeling during neural crest specification. Genome Res 2019; 30:35-48. [PMID: 31848212 PMCID: PMC6961570 DOI: 10.1101/gr.249680.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cell fate commitment involves the progressive restriction of developmental potential. Recent studies have shown that this process requires not only shifts in gene expression but also an extensive remodeling of the epigenomic landscape. To examine how chromatin states are reorganized during cellular specification in an in vivo system, we examined the function of pioneer factor TFAP2A at discrete stages of neural crest development. Our results show that TFAP2A activates distinct sets of genomic regions during induction of the neural plate border and specification of neural crest cells. Genomic occupancy analysis revealed that the repertoire of TFAP2A targets depends upon its dimerization with paralogous proteins TFAP2C and TFAP2B. During gastrula stages, TFAP2A/C heterodimers activate components of the neural plate border induction program. As neurulation begins, TFAP2A trades partners, and TFAP2A/B heterodimers reorganize the epigenomic landscape of progenitor cells to promote neural crest specification. We propose that this molecular switch acts to drive progressive cell commitment, remodeling the epigenomic landscape to define the presumptive neural crest. Our findings show how pioneer factors regulate distinct genomic targets in a stage-specific manner and highlight how paralogy can serve as an evolutionary strategy to diversify the function of the regulators that control embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Rothstein
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Marcos Simoes-Costa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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30
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Jurynec MJ, Bai X, Bisgrove BW, Jackson H, Nechiporuk A, Palu RAS, Grunwald HA, Su YC, Hoshijima K, Yost HJ, Zon LI, Grunwald DJ. The Paf1 complex and P-TEFb have reciprocal and antagonist roles in maintaining multipotent neural crest progenitors. Development 2019; 146:dev.180133. [PMID: 31784460 DOI: 10.1242/dev.180133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Multipotent progenitor populations are necessary for generating diverse tissue types during embryogenesis. We show the RNA polymerase-associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C) is required to maintain multipotent progenitors of the neural crest (NC) lineage in zebrafish. Mutations affecting each Paf1C component result in near-identical NC phenotypes; alyron mutant embryos carrying a null mutation in paf1 were analyzed in detail. In the absence of zygotic paf1 function, definitive premigratory NC progenitors arise but fail to maintain expression of the sox10 specification gene. The mutant NC progenitors migrate aberrantly and fail to differentiate appropriately. Blood and germ cell progenitor development is affected similarly. Development of mutant NC could be rescued by additional loss of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) activity, a key factor in promoting transcription elongation. Consistent with the interpretation that inhibiting/delaying expression of some genes is essential for maintaining progenitors, mutant embryos lacking the CDK9 kinase component of P-TEFb exhibit a surfeit of NC progenitors and their derivatives. We propose Paf1C and P-TEFb act antagonistically to regulate the timing of the expression of genes needed for NC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Jurynec
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Xiaoying Bai
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brent W Bisgrove
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Haley Jackson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Alex Nechiporuk
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Rebecca A S Palu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Hannah A Grunwald
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Yi-Chu Su
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Kazuyuki Hoshijima
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - H Joseph Yost
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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31
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Hovland AS, Rothstein M, Simoes-Costa M. Network architecture and regulatory logic in neural crest development. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 12:e1468. [PMID: 31702881 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The neural crest is an ectodermal cell population that gives rise to over 30 cell types during vertebrate embryogenesis. These stem cells are formed at the border of the developing central nervous system and undergo extensive migration before differentiating into components of multiple tissues and organs. Neural crest formation and differentiation is a multistep process, as these cells transition through sequential regulatory states before adopting their adult phenotype. Such changes are governed by a complex gene regulatory network (GRN) that integrates environmental and cell-intrinsic inputs to regulate cell identity. Studies of neural crest cells in a variety of vertebrate models have elucidated the function and regulation of dozens of the molecular players that are part of this network. The neural crest GRN has served as a platform to explore the molecular control of multipotency, cell differentiation, and the evolution of vertebrates. In this review, we employ this genetic program as a stepping-stone to explore the architecture and the regulatory principles of developmental GRNs. We also discuss how modern genomic approaches can further expand our understanding of genetic networks in this system and others. This article is categorized under: Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease Biological Mechanisms > Cell Fates Developmental Biology > Lineages Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Cellular Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin S Hovland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Megan Rothstein
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Marcos Simoes-Costa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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32
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Rocha M, Singh N, Ahsan K, Beiriger A, Prince VE. Neural crest development: insights from the zebrafish. Dev Dyn 2019; 249:88-111. [PMID: 31591788 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the neural crest, a key vertebrate innovation, is built upon studies of multiple model organisms. Early research on neural crest cells (NCCs) was dominated by analyses of accessible amphibian and avian embryos, with mouse genetics providing complementary insights in more recent years. The zebrafish model is a relative newcomer to the field, yet it offers unparalleled advantages for the study of NCCs. Specifically, zebrafish provide powerful genetic and transgenic tools, coupled with rapidly developing transparent embryos that are ideal for high-resolution real-time imaging of the dynamic process of neural crest development. While the broad principles of neural crest development are largely conserved across vertebrate species, there are critical differences in anatomy, morphogenesis, and genetics that must be considered before information from one model is extrapolated to another. Here, our goal is to provide the reader with a helpful primer specific to neural crest development in the zebrafish model. We focus largely on the earliest events-specification, delamination, and migration-discussing what is known about zebrafish NCC development and how it differs from NCC development in non-teleost species, as well as highlighting current gaps in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Rocha
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Noor Singh
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kamil Ahsan
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Anastasia Beiriger
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Victoria E Prince
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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33
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Chambers BE, Gerlach GF, Clark EG, Chen KH, Levesque AE, Leshchiner I, Goessling W, Wingert RA. Tfap2a is a novel gatekeeper of nephron differentiation during kidney development. Development 2019; 146:dev.172387. [PMID: 31160420 DOI: 10.1242/dev.172387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Renal functional units known as nephrons undergo patterning events during development that create a segmental array of cellular compartments with discrete physiological identities. Here, from a forward genetic screen using zebrafish, we report the discovery that transcription factor AP-2 alpha (tfap2a) coordinates a gene regulatory network that activates the terminal differentiation program of distal segments in the pronephros. We found that tfap2a acts downstream of Iroquois homeobox 3b (irx3b), a distal lineage transcription factor, to operate a circuit consisting of tfap2b, irx1a and genes encoding solute transporters that dictate the specialized metabolic functions of distal nephron segments. Interestingly, this regulatory node is distinct from other checkpoints of differentiation, such as polarity establishment and ciliogenesis. Thus, our studies reveal insights into the genetic control of differentiation, where tfap2a is essential for regulating a suite of segment transporter traits at the final tier of zebrafish pronephros ontogeny. These findings have relevance for understanding renal birth defects, as well as efforts to recapitulate nephrogenesis in vivo to facilitate drug discovery and regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Chambers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Gary F Gerlach
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Eleanor G Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Karen H Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Anna E Levesque
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Ignaty Leshchiner
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Genetics and Gastroenterology Division, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Wolfram Goessling
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Genetics and Gastroenterology Division, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Rebecca A Wingert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
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Zhou Y, Sinha S, Schwartz JL, Adami GR. A subtype of oral, laryngeal, esophageal, and lung, squamous cell carcinoma with high levels of TrkB-T1 neurotrophin receptor mRNA. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:607. [PMID: 31221127 PMCID: PMC6587277 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-5789-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The NTRK2 genetic locus encodes neurotrophin membrane receptors that play an important role in normal neural tissue plasticity, growth, and survival. One NTRK2-encoded protein is TrkB-FL, which can regulate multiple pathways relevant to cancer. A second NTRK2 gene mRNA isoform encodes TrkB-T1, a receptor that has a different cytoplasmic domain encoded in a mRNA with a unique 3′ terminal exon. Method Tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other studies were classified according to the expression of a single form of NTRK2 mRNA, TrkB-T1, identified by its unique 3′ terminal exon. Analysis of differentially expressed genes in TrkB-T1 high expressers was done to determine if tumors enriched for TrkB-T1 mRNA were a uniform group independent of anatomic site. Results The mRNA for TrkB-T1 is the most abundant NTRK2 gene mRNA in all squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in the TCGA database. Comparison of larynx SCC high TrkB-T1 RNA expressers to low expressers (n = 96) revealed gene expression differences consistent with the high TrkB-T1 tumors being more neural-like. The upregulated genes in the TrkB-T1 RNA high expressers also showed enrichment of pathways involved in retinol metabolism, hedgehog signaling, and the Nfe2l2 response, among other pathways. An examination of oral, esophagus, and lung SCCs (n = 284, 97, 501) showed induction of the same pathways among tumors that expressed high levels of TrkB-T1 mRNA. Proteins associated with regulation of the sonic hedgehog pathway, and the Nfe2l2 response, Tp63, and Keap1 and p62/SQSTM1 proteins, showed differential expression in larynx, oral and lung high TrkB1-T1 expresser SCCs. Unexpectantly, the relationship of high level TrkB-T1 expression to patient outcomes was SCC anatomic site specific. High TrkB-T1 mRNA levels in laryngeal SCC correlated with poor survival, but the opposite was true for lung SCC. This may be because pathways enriched in the TrkB high expressers, like those involving oncogenes NFE2L2, PIK3CA, and SOX2, are known to have SCC anatomic site-specific effects on progression. Conclusions High level TrkB-T1 mRNA is a marker of a distinct SCC subtype enriched for at least 3 pathways relevant to tumor progression: Nfe2l2 response, retinol metabolism, and hedgehog signaling. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5789-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalu Zhou
- Department of Oral Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Department of Computer Science and Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2122 Siebel Center, 201N. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Joel L Schwartz
- Department of Oral Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Guy R Adami
- Department of Oral Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Dooley CM, Wali N, Sealy IM, White RJ, Stemple DL, Collins JE, Busch-Nentwich EM. The gene regulatory basis of genetic compensation during neural crest induction. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008213. [PMID: 31199790 PMCID: PMC6594659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific cell type that contributes to a wide range of different tissues across all three germ layers. The gene regulatory network (GRN) responsible for the formation of neural crest is conserved across vertebrates. Central to the induction of the NC GRN are AP-2 and SoxE transcription factors. NC induction robustness is ensured through the ability of some of these transcription factors to compensate loss of function of gene family members. However the gene regulatory events underlying compensation are poorly understood. We have used gene knockout and RNA sequencing strategies to dissect NC induction and compensation in zebrafish. We genetically ablate the NC using double mutants of tfap2a;tfap2c or remove specific subsets of the NC with sox10 and mitfa knockouts and characterise genome-wide gene expression levels across multiple time points. We find that compensation through a single wild-type allele of tfap2c is capable of maintaining early NC induction and differentiation in the absence of tfap2a function, but many target genes have abnormal expression levels and therefore show sensitivity to the reduced tfap2 dosage. This separation of morphological and molecular phenotypes identifies a core set of genes required for early NC development. We also identify the 15 somites stage as the peak of the molecular phenotype which strongly diminishes at 24 hpf even as the morphological phenotype becomes more apparent. Using gene knockouts, we associate previously uncharacterised genes with pigment cell development and establish a role for maternal Hippo signalling in melanocyte differentiation. This work extends and refines the NC GRN while also uncovering the transcriptional basis of genetic compensation via paralogues. Embryonic development is an intricate process that requires genes to be active at the right time and place. Organisms have evolved mechanisms that ensure faithful execution of developmental programmes even if genes fail to function. For example, in a process called genetic compensation, one or more genes become activated in response to loss of function of another. In this work we use the zebrafish model to investigate how two related genes, tfap2a and tfap2c, interact to ensure establishment of the neural crest, a vertebrate-specific cell type that contributes to many different tissues. Losing tfap2a activity causes mild morphological defects and losing tfap2c has no visible effect. Yet when both are inactive, embryos are severely abnormal due to lack of neural crest-derived tissues. Here we show that loss of tfap2a triggers upregulation of tfap2c which prevents the loss of neural crest tissue. However, the genes normally regulated by tfap2a respond differently to tfap2c allowing us to identify the first tier of the Ap2 network and new players in neural crest biology. Our work demonstrates that the expression signature of partial, but morphologically sufficient, genetic compensation provides an opportunity to dissect gene regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neha Wali
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M. Sealy
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. White
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Derek L. Stemple
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - John E. Collins
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth M. Busch-Nentwich
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Kołat D, Kałuzińska Ż, Bednarek AK, Płuciennik E. The biological characteristics of transcription factors AP-2α and AP-2γ and their importance in various types of cancers. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20181928. [PMID: 30824562 PMCID: PMC6418405 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20181928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Activator Protein 2 (AP-2) transcription factor (TF) family is vital for the regulation of gene expression during early development as well as carcinogenesis process. The review focusses on the AP-2α and AP-2γ proteins and their dualistic regulation of gene expression in the process of carcinogenesis. Both AP-2α and AP-2γ influence a wide range of physiological or pathological processes by regulating different pathways and interacting with diverse molecules, i.e. other proteins, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) or miRNAs. This review summarizes the newest information about the biology of two, AP-2α and AP-2γ, TFs in the carcinogenesis process. We emphasize that these two proteins could have either oncogenic or suppressive characteristics depending on the type of cancer tissue or their interaction with specific molecules. They have also been found to contribute to resistance and sensitivity to chemotherapy in oncological patients. A better understanding of molecular network of AP-2 factors and other molecules may clarify the atypical molecular mechanisms occurring during carcinogenesis, and may assist in the recognition of new diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Kołat
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Postgraduate Education, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Żaneta Kałuzińska
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Postgraduate Education, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Andrzej K Bednarek
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Płuciennik
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
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Lukoseviciute M, Gavriouchkina D, Williams RM, Hochgreb-Hagele T, Senanayake U, Chong-Morrison V, Thongjuea S, Repapi E, Mead A, Sauka-Spengler T. From Pioneer to Repressor: Bimodal foxd3 Activity Dynamically Remodels Neural Crest Regulatory Landscape In Vivo. Dev Cell 2019; 47:608-628.e6. [PMID: 30513303 PMCID: PMC6286384 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The neural crest (NC) is a transient embryonic stem cell-like population characterized by its multipotency and broad developmental potential. Here, we perform NC-specific transcriptional and epigenomic profiling of foxd3-mutant cells in vivo to define the gene regulatory circuits controlling NC specification. Together with global binding analysis obtained by foxd3 biotin-ChIP and single cell profiles of foxd3-expressing premigratory NC, our analysis shows that, during early steps of NC formation, foxd3 acts globally as a pioneer factor to prime the onset of genes regulating NC specification and migration by re-arranging the chromatin landscape, opening cis-regulatory elements and reshuffling nucleosomes. Strikingly, foxd3 then gradually switches from an activator to its well-described role as a transcriptional repressor and potentially uses differential partners for each role. Taken together, these results demonstrate that foxd3 acts bimodally in the neural crest as a switch from “permissive” to “repressive” nucleosome and chromatin organization to maintain multipotency and define cell fates. FoxD3 primes neural crest specification by modulating distal enhancers FoxD3 represses a number of neural crest migration and differentiation genes In neural crest, FoxD3 acts to switch chromatin from “permissive” to “repressive” Distinctive gene regulatory mechanisms underlie the bimodal action of FoxD3
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Lukoseviciute
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Daria Gavriouchkina
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ruth M Williams
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Tatiana Hochgreb-Hagele
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Upeka Senanayake
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Vanessa Chong-Morrison
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Supat Thongjuea
- Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Emmanouela Repapi
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology Research Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Adam Mead
- Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Tatjana Sauka-Spengler
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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Sharma PP, MacLean AL, Meinecke L, Clouthier DE, Nie Q, Schilling TF. Transcriptomics reveals complex kinetics of dorsal-ventral patterning gene expression in the mandibular arch. Genesis 2018; 57:e23275. [PMID: 30561090 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23275] [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: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The mandibular or first pharyngeal arch forms the upper and lower jaws in all gnathostomes. A gene regulatory network that defines ventral, intermediate, and dorsal domains along the dorsal-ventral (D-V) axis of the arch has emerged from studies in zebrafish and mice, but the temporal dynamics of this process remain unclear. To define cell fate trajectories in the arches we have performed quantitative gene expression analyses of D-V patterning genes in pharyngeal arch primordia in zebrafish and mice. Using NanoString technology to measure transcript numbers per cell directly we show that, in many cases, genes expressed in similar D-V domains and induced by similar signals vary dramatically in their temporal profiles. This suggests that cellular responses to D-V patterning signals are likely shaped by the baseline kinetics of target gene expression. Furthermore, similarities in the temporal dynamics of genes that occupy distinct pathways suggest novel shared modes of regulation. Incorporating these gene expression kinetics into our computational models for the mandibular arch improves the accuracy of patterning, and facilitates temporal comparisons between species. These data suggest that the magnitude and timing of target gene expression help diversify responses to patterning signals during craniofacial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveer P Sharma
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Adam L MacLean
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Lina Meinecke
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - David E Clouthier
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Thomas F Schilling
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
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39
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Kousa YA, Fuller E, Schutte BC. IRF6 and AP2A Interaction Regulates Epidermal Development. J Invest Dermatol 2018; 138:2578-2588. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2018.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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40
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Sparks NRL, Martinez IKC, Soto CH, Zur Nieden NI. Low Osteogenic Yield in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Associates with Differential Neural Crest Promoter Methylation. Stem Cells 2018; 36:349-362. [PMID: 29193426 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived osteoblasts possess great potential for use in bone disorder elucidation and repair; however, while the general ability of human pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into osteoblasts and lay down bone-specific matrix has been shown, previous studies lack the complete characterization of the process whereby such osteoblasts are derived as well as a comparison between the osteogenic efficiency of multiple cell lines. Here, we compared the osteogenic potential of two human induced pluripotent stem cell lines (RIV9 and RIV4) to human H9 embryonic stem cells. Generally capable of osteogenic differentiation, the overall osteogenic yield was lower in the RIV9 and RIV4 lines and correlated with differential expression of osteocalcin (OCN) in mature cultures and PAX7 and TWIST1 during early differentiation. In the undifferentiated cells, the promoters of the latter two genes were differentially methylated potentially explaining the variation in differentiation efficiency. Furthermore, the expression signatures of selected neural crest and mesodermal genes and proteins suggested that H9 cells preferentially gave rise to neural crest-derived osteoblasts, whereas the osteoblasts in the RIV9 cultures were generated both through a mesodermal and a neural crest route although each at a lower rate. These data suggest that epigenetic dissimilarities between multiple PSC lines may lead to differences in lineage derivation and mineralization. Since osteoblast progenitors from one origin inadequately repair a defect in the other, these data underscore the importance of screening human pluripotent stem cells lines for the identity of the osteoprogenitors they lay down. Stem Cells 2018;36:349-362.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Renee Lee Sparks
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and Stem Cell Center, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
| | - Ivann Kenneth Carvajal Martinez
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and Stem Cell Center, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
| | - Cristina Helen Soto
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and Stem Cell Center, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
| | - Nicole Isolde Zur Nieden
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and Stem Cell Center, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
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41
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Chen J, Tan X, Wang Z, Liu Y, Zhou J, Rong X, Lu L, Li Y. The ribosome biogenesis protein Esf1 is essential for pharyngeal cartilage formation in zebrafish. FEBS J 2018; 285:3464-3484. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jian‐Yang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
| | - Xungang Tan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences Qingdao China
| | - Zheng‐Hua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences Qingdao China
| | - Yun‐Zhang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
| | - Jian‐Feng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
| | - Xiao‐Zhi Rong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
| | - Ling Lu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
| | - Yun Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China) Chinese Ministry of Education Qingdao China
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Biological Products Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology China
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Pla P, Monsoro-Burq AH. The neural border: Induction, specification and maturation of the territory that generates neural crest cells. Dev Biol 2018; 444 Suppl 1:S36-S46. [PMID: 29852131 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The neural crest is induced at the edge between the neural plate and the nonneural ectoderm, in an area called the neural (plate) border, during gastrulation and neurulation. In recent years, many studies have explored how this domain is patterned, and how the neural crest is induced within this territory, that also participates to the prospective dorsal neural tube, the dorsalmost nonneural ectoderm, as well as placode derivatives in the anterior area. This review highlights the tissue interactions, the cell-cell signaling and the molecular mechanisms involved in this dynamic spatiotemporal patterning, resulting in the induction of the premigratory neural crest. Collectively, these studies allow building a complex neural border and early neural crest gene regulatory network, mostly composed by transcriptional regulations but also, more recently, including novel signaling interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Pla
- Univ. Paris Sud, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, 15, rue Georges Clémenceau, F-91405 Orsay, France; Institut Curie Research Division, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Anne H Monsoro-Burq
- Univ. Paris Sud, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, 15, rue Georges Clémenceau, F-91405 Orsay, France; Institut Curie Research Division, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, F-91405 Orsay, France; Institut Universitaire de France, F-75005, Paris.
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Tchieu J, Zimmer B, Fattahi F, Amin S, Zeltner N, Chen S, Studer L. A Modular Platform for Differentiation of Human PSCs into All Major Ectodermal Lineages. Cell Stem Cell 2018; 21:399-410.e7. [PMID: 28886367 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Directing the fate of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into different lineages requires variable starting conditions and components with undefined activities, introducing inconsistencies that confound reproducibility and assessment of specific perturbations. Here we introduce a simple, modular protocol for deriving the four main ectodermal lineages from hPSCs. By precisely varying FGF, BMP, WNT, and TGFβ pathway activity in a minimal, chemically defined medium, we show parallel, robust, and reproducible derivation of neuroectoderm, neural crest (NC), cranial placode (CP), and non-neural ectoderm in multiple hPSC lines, on different substrates independently of cell density. We highlight the utility of this system by interrogating the role of TFAP2 transcription factors in ectodermal differentiation, revealing the importance of TFAP2A in NC and CP specification, and performing a small-molecule screen that identified compounds that further enhance CP differentiation. This platform provides a simple stage for systematic derivation of the entire range of ectodermal cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Tchieu
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Bastian Zimmer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Faranak Fattahi
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sadaf Amin
- Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nadja Zeltner
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shuibing Chen
- Department of Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lorenz Studer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Seberg HE, Van Otterloo E, Cornell RA. Beyond MITF: Multiple transcription factors directly regulate the cellular phenotype in melanocytes and melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2018. [PMID: 28649789 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
MITF governs multiple steps in the development of melanocytes, including specification from neural crest, growth, survival, and terminal differentiation. In addition, the level of MITF activity determines the phenotype adopted by melanoma cells, whether invasive, proliferative, or differentiated. However, MITF does not act alone. Here, we review literature on the transcription factors that co-regulate MITF-dependent genes. ChIP-seq studies have indicated that the transcription factors SOX10, YY1, and TFAP2A co-occupy subsets of regulatory elements bound by MITF in melanocytes. Analyses at single loci also support roles for LEF1, RB1, IRF4, and PAX3 acting in combination with MITF, while sequence motif analyses suggest that additional transcription factors colocalize with MITF at many melanocyte-specific regulatory elements. However, the precise biochemical functions of each of these MITF collaborators and their contributions to gene expression remain to be elucidated. Analogous to the transcriptional networks in morphogen-patterned tissues during embryogenesis, we anticipate that the level of MITF activity is controlled not only by the concentration of activated MITF, but also by additional transcription factors that either quantitatively or qualitatively influence the expression of MITF-target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Seberg
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- SDM-Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Robert A Cornell
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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45
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Wong TCB, Rebbert M, Wang C, Chen X, Heffer A, Zarelli VE, Dawid IB, Zhao H. Genes regulated by potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 15 (Kctd15) in the developing neural crest. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 60:159-66. [PMID: 27389986 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.160058id] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neural crest (NC) development is controlled precisely by a regulatory network with multiple signaling pathways and the involvement of many genes. The integration and coordination of these factors are still incompletely understood. Overexpression of Wnt3a and the BMP antagonist Chordin in animal cap cells from Xenopus blastulae induces a large number of NC specific genes. We previously suggested that Potassium Channel Tetramerization Domain containing 15 (Kctd15) regulates NC formation by affecting Wnt signaling and the activity of transcription factor AP-2. In order to advance understanding of the function of Kctd15 during NC development, we performed DNA microarray assays in explants injected with Wnt3a and Chordin, and identified genes that are affected by Kctd15 overexpression. Among the many genes identified, we chose Duf domain containing protein 1 (ddcp1), Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor a (pdgfra), Complement factor properdin (cfp), Zinc Finger SWIM-Type Containing 5 (zswim5), and complement component 3 (C3) to examine their expression by whole mount in situ hybridization. Our work points to a possible role for Kctd15 in the regulation of NC formation and other steps in embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C B Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, P. R. China
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46
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Van Otterloo E, Li H, Jones KL, Williams T. AP-2α and AP-2β cooperatively orchestrate homeobox gene expression during branchial arch patterning. Development 2018; 145:dev157438. [PMID: 29229773 PMCID: PMC5825845 DOI: 10.1242/dev.157438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of a hinged moveable jaw with variable morphology is considered a major factor behind the successful expansion of the vertebrates. DLX homeobox transcription factors are crucial for establishing the positional code that patterns the mandible, maxilla and intervening hinge domain, but how the genes encoding these proteins are regulated remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that the concerted action of the AP-2α and AP-2β transcription factors within the mouse neural crest is essential for jaw patterning. In the absence of these two proteins, the hinge domain is lost and there are alterations in the size and patterning of the jaws correlating with dysregulation of homeobox gene expression, with reduced levels of Emx, Msx and Dlx paralogs accompanied by an expansion of Six1 expression. Moreover, detailed analysis of morphological features and gene expression changes indicate significant overlap with various compound Dlx gene mutants. Together, these findings reveal that the AP-2 genes have a major function in mammalian neural crest development, influencing patterning of the craniofacial skeleton via the DLX code, an effect that has implications for vertebrate facial evolution, as well as for human craniofacial disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Van Otterloo
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045 USA
| | - Trevor Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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47
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Zainolabidin N, Kamath SP, Thanawalla AR, Chen AI. Distinct Activities of Tfap2A and Tfap2B in the Specification of GABAergic Interneurons in the Developing Cerebellum. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:281. [PMID: 28912684 PMCID: PMC5583517 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
GABAergic inhibitory neurons in the cerebellum are subdivided into Purkinje cells and distinct subtypes of interneurons from the same pool of progenitors, but the determinants of this diversification process are not well defined. To explore the transcriptional regulation of the development of cerebellar inhibitory neurons, we examined the role of Tfap2A and Tfap2B in the specification of GABAergic neuronal subtypes in mice. We show that Tfap2A and Tfap2B are expressed in inhibitory precursors during embryonic development and that their expression persists into adulthood. The onset of their expression follows Ptf1a and Olig2, key determinants of GABAergic neuronal fate in the cerebellum; and, their expression precedes Pax2, an interneuron-specific factor. Tfap2A is expressed by all GABAergic neurons, whereas Tfap2B is selectively expressed by interneurons. Genetic manipulation via in utero electroporation (IUE) reveals that Tfap2B is necessary for interneuron specification and is capable of suppressing the generation of excitatory cells. Tfap2A, but not Tfap2B, is capable of inducing the generation of interneurons when misexpressed in the ventricular neuroepithelium. Together, our results demonstrate that the differential expression of Tfap2A and Tfap2B defines subtypes of GABAergic neurons and plays specific, but complementary roles in the specification of interneurons in the developing cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norliyana Zainolabidin
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)Singapore, Singapore.,School of Life Sciences, University of WarwickCoventry, United Kingdom
| | - Sandhya P Kamath
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)Singapore, Singapore.,School of Life Sciences, University of WarwickCoventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ayesha R Thanawalla
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)Singapore, Singapore.,School of Life Sciences, University of WarwickCoventry, United Kingdom
| | - Albert I Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)Singapore, Singapore.,School of Life Sciences, University of WarwickCoventry, United Kingdom.,ASTAR, Institute of Molecular and Cell BiologySingapore, Singapore
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48
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Laurette P, Koludrovic D, Coassolo S, Davidson I. [Epigenetic regulation of gene expression in malignant melanoma]. Biol Aujourdhui 2017; 210:283-295. [PMID: 28327285 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2016028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer with a propensity for early metastasis. Melanocyte transformation results predominantly from oncogenic mutations in BRAF, NRAS or NF1 leading to constitutive activation of the MAP kinase pathway driving cell proliferation and second site mutations such as loss of CDKN1A, or PTEN or activating mutations in the beta-catenin pathway that allow escape from oncogene induced senescence. Nevertheless, irrespective of the nature of the driver mutations, melanoma cell physiology is strongly regulated by transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms. MITF (Microphthalmia-associated Transcription Factor) and SOX10 are two major transcription factors that regulate both normal melanocyte and melanoma cell physiology. Using a combination of mouse genetics, biochemistry and high throughput genomics we have identified cofactors for MITF and addressed the mechanisms by which MITF, SOX10 and their cofactors regulate gene expression in melanocytes and melanoma.
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49
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Seberg HE, Van Otterloo E, Loftus SK, Liu H, Bonde G, Sompallae R, Gildea DE, Santana JF, Manak JR, Pavan WJ, Williams T, Cornell RA. TFAP2 paralogs regulate melanocyte differentiation in parallel with MITF. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006636. [PMID: 28249010 PMCID: PMC5352137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding transcription factor TFAP2A result in pigmentation anomalies in model organisms and premature hair graying in humans. However, the pleiotropic functions of TFAP2A and its redundantly-acting paralogs have made the precise contribution of TFAP2-type activity to melanocyte differentiation unclear. Defining this contribution may help to explain why TFAP2A expression is reduced in advanced-stage melanoma compared to benign nevi. To identify genes with TFAP2A-dependent expression in melanocytes, we profile zebrafish tissue and mouse melanocytes deficient in Tfap2a, and find that expression of a small subset of genes underlying pigmentation phenotypes is TFAP2A-dependent, including Dct, Mc1r, Mlph, and Pmel. We then conduct TFAP2A ChIP-seq in mouse and human melanocytes and find that a much larger subset of pigmentation genes is associated with active regulatory elements bound by TFAP2A. These elements are also frequently bound by MITF, which is considered the "master regulator" of melanocyte development. For example, the promoter of TRPM1 is bound by both TFAP2A and MITF, and we show that the activity of a minimal TRPM1 promoter is lost upon deletion of the TFAP2A binding sites. However, the expression of Trpm1 is not TFAP2A-dependent, implying that additional TFAP2 paralogs function redundantly to drive melanocyte differentiation, which is consistent with previous results from zebrafish. Paralogs Tfap2a and Tfap2b are both expressed in mouse melanocytes, and we show that mouse embryos with Wnt1-Cre-mediated deletion of Tfap2a and Tfap2b in the neural crest almost completely lack melanocytes but retain neural crest-derived sensory ganglia. These results suggest that TFAP2 paralogs, like MITF, are also necessary for induction of the melanocyte lineage. Finally, we observe a genetic interaction between tfap2a and mitfa in zebrafish, but find that artificially elevating expression of tfap2a does not increase levels of melanin in mitfa hypomorphic or loss-of-function mutants. Collectively, these results show that TFAP2 paralogs, operating alongside lineage-specific transcription factors such as MITF, directly regulate effectors of terminal differentiation in melanocytes. In addition, they suggest that TFAP2A activity, like MITF activity, has the potential to modulate the phenotype of melanoma cells.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Binding Sites/genetics
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Cell Line
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cells, Cultured
- Embryo, Mammalian/embryology
- Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/embryology
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
- Gene Expression Profiling/methods
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Humans
- Melanocytes/metabolism
- Mice, Knockout
- Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor/genetics
- Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor/metabolism
- Microscopy, Confocal
- Mutation
- Pigmentation/genetics
- RNA Interference
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
- Transcription Factor AP-2/genetics
- Transcription Factor AP-2/metabolism
- Zebrafish
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Seberg
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Eric Van Otterloo
- SDM-Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Stacie K. Loftus
- Genetic Disease Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Huan Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Greg Bonde
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Ramakrishna Sompallae
- Bioinformatics Division, Iowa Institute of Human Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Derek E. Gildea
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Juan F. Santana
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - J. Robert Manak
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - William J. Pavan
- Genetic Disease Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Trevor Williams
- SDM-Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Robert A. Cornell
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
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50
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Ahi EP, Sefc KM. A gene expression study of dorso-ventrally restricted pigment pattern in adult fins of Neolamprologus meeli, an African cichlid species. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2843. [PMID: 28097057 PMCID: PMC5228514 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish color patterns are among the most diverse phenotypic traits found in the animal kingdom. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control in chromatophore distribution and pigmentation underlying this diversity is a major goal in developmental and evolutionary biology, which has predominantly been pursued in the zebrafish model system. Here, we apply results from zebrafish work to study a naturally occurring color pattern phenotype in the fins of an African cichlid species from Lake Tanganyika. The cichlid fish Neolamprologus meeli displays a distinct dorsal color pattern, with black and white stripes along the edges of the dorsal fin and of the dorsal half of the caudal fin, corresponding with differences in melanophore density. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms controlling the differences in dorsal and ventral color patterning in the fins, we quantitatively assessed the expression of 15 candidate target genes involved in adult zebrafish pigmentation and stripe formation. For reference gene validation, we screened the expression stability of seven widely expressed genes across the investigated tissue samples and identified tbp as appropriate reference. Relative expression levels of the candidate target genes were compared between the dorsal, striped fin regions and the corresponding uniform, grey-colored regions in the anal and ventral caudal fin. Dorso-ventral expression differences, with elevated levels in both white and black stripes, were observed in two genes, the melanosome protein coding gene pmel and in igsf11, which affects melanophore adhesion, migration and survival. Next, we predicted potential shared upstream regulators of pmel and igsf11. Testing the expression patterns of six predicted transcriptions factors revealed dorso-ventral expression difference of irf1 and significant, negative expression correlation of irf1 with both pmel and igsf11. Based on these results, we propose pmel, igsf11 and irf1 as likely components of the genetic mechanism controlling distinct dorso-ventral color patterns in N. meeli fins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, Universität Graz , Graz , Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, Universität Graz , Graz , Austria
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