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Yoon J, Kumar S, Lee H, Rehman ZU, Park S, Lee U, Kim J. Sizzled (Frzb3) physically interacts with noncanonical Wnt ligands to inhibit gastrulation cell movement. Mol Cells 2024; 47:100068. [PMID: 38759887 PMCID: PMC11225558 DOI: 10.1016/j.mocell.2024.100068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The coordinated movement of germ layer progenitor cells reaches its peak at the dorsal side, where the Bmp signaling gradient is low, and minimum at the ventral side, where the Bmp gradient is high. This dynamic cell movement is regulated by the interplay of various signaling pathways. The noncanonical Wnt signaling cascade serves as a pivotal regulator of convergence and extension cell movement, facilitated by the activation of small GTPases such as Rho, Rab, and Rac. However, the underlying cause of limited cell movement at the ventral side remains elusive. To explore the functional role of a key regulator in constraining gastrulation cell movement at the ventral side, we investigated the Bmp4-direct target gene, sizzled (szl), to assess its potential role in inhibiting noncanonical Wnt signaling. In our current study, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of szl led to gastrulation defects in a dose-dependent manner without altering cell fate specification. Overexpression of szl resulted in decreased elongation of Activin-treated animal cap and Keller explants. Furthermore, our immunoprecipitation assay unveiled the physical interaction of Szl with noncanonical Wnt ligand proteins (Wnt5 and Wnt11). Additionally, the activation of small GTPases involved in Wnt signaling mediation (RhoA and Rac1) was diminished upon szl overexpression. In summary, our findings suggest that Bmp4 signaling negatively modulates cell movement from the ventral side of the embryo by inducing szl expression during early Xenopus gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeho Yoon
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeryung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Zia Ur Rehman
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Soochul Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Unjoo Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaebong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
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2
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Manning E, Placzek M. Organizing activities of axial mesoderm. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 157:83-123. [PMID: 38556460 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
For almost a century, developmental biologists have appreciated that the ability of the embryonic organizer to induce and pattern the body plan is intertwined with its differentiation into axial mesoderm. Despite this, we still have a relatively poor understanding of the contribution of axial mesoderm to induction and patterning of different body regions, and the manner in which axial mesoderm-derived information is interpreted in tissues of changing competence. Here, with a particular focus on the nervous system, we review the evidence that axial mesoderm notochord and prechordal mesoderm/mesendoderm act as organizers, discuss how their influence extends through the different axes of the developing organism, and describe how the ability of axial mesoderm to direct morphogenesis impacts on its role as a local organizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Manning
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Marysia Placzek
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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3
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Baxi AB, Li J, Quach VM, Pade LR, Moody SA, Nemes P. Cell lineage-guided mass spectrometry reveals increased energy metabolism and reactive oxygen species in the vertebrate organizer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311625121. [PMID: 38300871 PMCID: PMC10861879 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311625121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular understanding of the vertebrate Organizer, a tissue center critical for inductive signaling during gastrulation, has so far been mostly limited to transcripts and a few proteins, the latter due to limitations in detection and sensitivity. The Spemann-Mangold Organizer (SMO) in the South African Clawed Frog (X. laevis), a popular model of development, has long been known to be the origin of signals that pattern the mesoderm and central nervous system. Molecular screens of the SMO have identified several genes responsible for the ability of the SMO to establish the body axis. Nonetheless, a comprehensive study of proteins and metabolites produced specifically in the SMO and their functional roles has been lacking. Here, we pioneer a deep discovery proteomic and targeted metabolomic screen of the SMO in comparison to the remainder of the embryo using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Quantification of ~4,600 proteins and a panel of targeted metabolites documented differential expression for 460 proteins and multiple intermediates of energy metabolism in the SMO. Upregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and redox regulatory proteins gave rise to elevated oxidative stress and an accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the SMO. Imaging experiments corroborated these findings, discovering enrichment of hydrogen peroxide in the SMO. Chemical perturbation of the redox gradient perturbed mesoderm involution during early gastrulation. HRMS expands the bioanalytical toolbox of cell and developmental biology, providing previously unavailable information on molecular classes to challenge and refine our classical understanding of the Organizer and its function during early patterning of the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna B. Baxi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD20742
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology,School of Medical and Health Sciences,The George Washington University, Washington, DC20037
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD20742
| | - Vi M. Quach
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD20742
| | - Leena R. Pade
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD20742
| | - Sally A. Moody
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology,School of Medical and Health Sciences,The George Washington University, Washington, DC20037
| | - Peter Nemes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD20742
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology,School of Medical and Health Sciences,The George Washington University, Washington, DC20037
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4
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Reverdatto S, Prasad A, Belrose JL, Zhang X, Sammons MA, Gibbs KM, Szaro BG. Developmental and Injury-induced Changes in DNA Methylation in Regenerative versus Non-regenerative Regions of the Vertebrate Central Nervous System. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:2. [PMID: 34979916 PMCID: PMC8725369 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08247-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because some of its CNS neurons (e.g., retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve crush (ONC)) regenerate axons throughout life, whereas others (e.g., hindbrain neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI)) lose this capacity as tadpoles metamorphose into frogs, the South African claw-toed frog, Xenopus laevis, offers unique opportunities for exploring differences between regenerative and non-regenerative responses to CNS injury within the same organism. An earlier, three-way RNA-seq study (frog ONC eye, tadpole SCI hindbrain, frog SCI hindbrain) identified genes that regulate chromatin accessibility among those that were differentially expressed in regenerative vs non-regenerative CNS [11]. The current study used whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of DNA collected from these same animals at the peak period of axon regeneration to study the extent to which DNA methylation could potentially underlie differences in chromatin accessibility between regenerative and non-regenerative CNS. RESULTS Consistent with the hypothesis that DNA of regenerative CNS is more accessible than that of non-regenerative CNS, DNA from both the regenerative tadpole hindbrain and frog eye was less methylated than that of the non-regenerative frog hindbrain. Also, consistent with observations of CNS injury in mammals, DNA methylation in non-regenerative frog hindbrain decreased after SCI. However, contrary to expectations that the level of DNA methylation would decrease even further with axotomy in regenerative CNS, DNA methylation in these regions instead increased with injury. Injury-induced differences in CpG methylation in regenerative CNS became especially enriched in gene promoter regions, whereas non-CpG methylation differences were more evenly distributed across promoter regions, intergenic, and intragenic regions. In non-regenerative CNS, tissue-related (i.e., regenerative vs. non-regenerative CNS) and injury-induced decreases in promoter region CpG methylation were significantly correlated with increased RNA expression, but the injury-induced, increased CpG methylation seen in regenerative CNS across promoter regions was not, suggesting it was associated with increased rather than decreased chromatin accessibility. This hypothesis received support from observations that in regenerative CNS, many genes exhibiting increased, injury-induced, promoter-associated CpG-methylation also exhibited increased RNA expression and association with histone markers for active promoters and enhancers. DNA immunoprecipitation for 5hmC in optic nerve regeneration found that the promoter-associated increases seen in CpG methylation were distinct from those exhibiting changes in 5hmC. CONCLUSIONS Although seemingly paradoxical, the increased injury-associated DNA methylation seen in regenerative CNS has many parallels in stem cells and cancer. Thus, these axotomy-induced changes in DNA methylation in regenerative CNS provide evidence for a novel epigenetic state favoring successful over unsuccessful CNS axon regeneration. The datasets described in this study should help lay the foundations for future studies of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. The insights gained should, in turn, help point the way to novel therapeutic approaches for treating CNS injury in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Reverdatto
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Aparna Prasad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Jamie L Belrose
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Morgan A Sammons
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Kurt M Gibbs
- Department of Biology & Chemistry, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY, 40351, USA
| | - Ben G Szaro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
- RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
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5
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Yoon J, Kumar V, Goutam RS, Kim SC, Park S, Lee U, Kim J. Bmp Signal Gradient Modulates Convergent Cell Movement via Xarhgef3.2 during Gastrulation of Xenopus Embryos. Cells 2021; 11:44. [PMID: 35011606 PMCID: PMC8750265 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrulation is a critical step in the establishment of a basic body plan during development. Convergence and extension (CE) cell movements organize germ layers during gastrulation. Noncanonical Wnt signaling has been known as major signaling that regulates CE cell movement by activating Rho and Rac. In addition, Bmp molecules are expressed in the ventral side of a developing embryo, and the ventral mesoderm region undergoes minimal CE cell movement while the dorsal mesoderm undergoes dynamic cell movements. This suggests that Bmp signal gradient may affect CE cell movement. To investigate whether Bmp signaling negatively regulates CE cell movements, we performed microarray-based screening and found that the transcription of Xenopus Arhgef3.2 (Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor) was negatively regulated by Bmp signaling. We also showed that overexpression or knockdown of Xarhgef3.2 caused gastrulation defects. Interestingly, Xarhgef3.2 controlled gastrulation cell movements through interacting with Disheveled (Dsh2) and Dsh2-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (Daam1). Our results suggest that Bmp gradient affects gastrulation cell movement (CE) via negative regulation of Xarhgef3.2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeho Yoon
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea; (J.Y.); (V.K.); (R.S.G.); (S.-C.K.)
- National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea; (J.Y.); (V.K.); (R.S.G.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Ravi Shankar Goutam
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea; (J.Y.); (V.K.); (R.S.G.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Sung-Chan Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea; (J.Y.); (V.K.); (R.S.G.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Soochul Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul 04310, Korea;
| | - Unjoo Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea;
| | - Jaebong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea; (J.Y.); (V.K.); (R.S.G.); (S.-C.K.)
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6
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Satb2 acts as a gatekeeper for major developmental transitions during early vertebrate embryogenesis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6094. [PMID: 34667153 PMCID: PMC8526749 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26234-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) initiates regionalized transcription underlying distinct cellular identities. ZGA is dependent upon dynamic chromatin architecture sculpted by conserved DNA-binding proteins. However, the direct mechanistic link between the onset of ZGA and the tissue-specific transcription remains unclear. Here, we have addressed the involvement of chromatin organizer Satb2 in orchestrating both processes during zebrafish embryogenesis. Integrative analysis of transcriptome, genome-wide occupancy and chromatin accessibility reveals contrasting molecular activities of maternally deposited and zygotically synthesized Satb2. Maternal Satb2 prevents premature transcription of zygotic genes by influencing the interplay between the pluripotency factors. By contrast, zygotic Satb2 activates transcription of the same group of genes during neural crest development and organogenesis. Thus, our comparative analysis of maternal versus zygotic function of Satb2 underscores how these antithetical activities are temporally coordinated and functionally implemented highlighting the evolutionary implications of the biphasic and bimodal regulation of landmark developmental transitions by a single determinant. Activation of the zygotic genome is a critical transition during development, though the link to tissue-specific gene regulation remains unclear. Here the authors demonstrate distinct functions for Satb2 before and after zygotic genome activation, highlighting the temporal coordination of these roles.
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7
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Abstract
The endoderm is the innermost germ layer that forms the linings of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and their associated organs, during embryonic development. Xenopus embryology experiments have provided fundamental insights into how the endoderm develops in vertebrates, including the critical role of TGFβ-signaling in endoderm induction,elucidating the gene regulatory networks controlling germ layer development and the key molecular mechanisms regulating endoderm patterning and morphogenesis. With new genetic, genomic, and imaging approaches, Xenopus is now routinely used to model human disease, discover mechanisms underlying endoderm organogenesis, and inform differentiation protocols for pluripotent stem cell differentiation and regenerative medicine applications. In this chapter, we review historical and current discoveries of endoderm development in Xenopus, then provide examples of modeling human disease and congenital defects of endoderm-derived organs using Xenopus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Edwards
- Division of Developmental Biology, Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Aaron M Zorn
- Division of Developmental Biology, Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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8
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Kakebeen AD, Huebner RJ, Shindo A, Kwon K, Kwon T, Wills AE, Wallingford JB. A temporally resolved transcriptome for developing "Keller" explants of the Xenopus laevis dorsal marginal zone. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:717-731. [PMID: 33368695 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Explanted tissues from vertebrate embryos reliably develop in culture and have provided essential paradigms for understanding embryogenesis, from early embryological investigations of induction, to the extensive study of Xenopus animal caps, to the current studies of mammalian gastruloids. Cultured explants of the Xenopus dorsal marginal zone ("Keller" explants) serve as a central paradigm for studies of convergent extension cell movements, yet we know little about the global patterns of gene expression in these explants. RESULTS In an effort to more thoroughly develop this important model system, we provide here a time-resolved bulk transcriptome for developing Keller explants. CONCLUSIONS The dataset reported here provides a useful resource for those using Keller explants for studies of morphogenesis and provide genome-scale insights into the temporal patterns of gene expression in an important tissue when explanted and grown in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneke D Kakebeen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Asako Shindo
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kujin Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Taejoon Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea.,Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Andrea E Wills
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
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9
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Belrose JL, Prasad A, Sammons MA, Gibbs KM, Szaro BG. Comparative gene expression profiling between optic nerve and spinal cord injury in Xenopus laevis reveals a core set of genes inherent in successful regeneration of vertebrate central nervous system axons. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:540. [PMID: 32758133 PMCID: PMC7430912 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06954-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The South African claw-toed frog, Xenopus laevis, is uniquely suited for studying differences between regenerative and non-regenerative responses to CNS injury within the same organism, because some CNS neurons (e.g., retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve crush (ONC)) regenerate axons throughout life, whereas others (e.g., hindbrain neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI)) lose this capacity as tadpoles metamorphose into frogs. Tissues from these CNS regions (frog ONC eye, tadpole SCI hindbrain, frog SCI hindbrain) were used in a three-way RNA-seq study of axotomized CNS axons to identify potential core gene expression programs for successful CNS axon regeneration. RESULTS Despite tissue-specific changes in expression dominating the injury responses of each tissue, injury-induced changes in gene expression were nonetheless shared between the two axon-regenerative CNS regions that were not shared with the non-regenerative region. These included similar temporal patterns of gene expression and over 300 injury-responsive genes. Many of these genes and their associated cellular functions had previously been associated with injury responses of multiple tissues, both neural and non-neural, from different species, thereby demonstrating deep phylogenetically conserved commonalities between successful CNS axon regeneration and tissue regeneration in general. Further analyses implicated the KEGG adipocytokine signaling pathway, which links leptin with metabolic and gene regulatory pathways, and a novel gene regulatory network with genes regulating chromatin accessibility at its core, as important hubs in the larger network of injury response genes involved in successful CNS axon regeneration. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies deep, phylogenetically conserved commonalities between CNS axon regeneration and other examples of successful tissue regeneration and provides new targets for studying the molecular underpinnings of successful CNS axon regeneration, as well as a guide for distinguishing pro-regenerative injury-induced changes in gene expression from detrimental ones in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L Belrose
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Aparna Prasad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Morgan A Sammons
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Kurt M Gibbs
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY, 40351, USA
| | - Ben G Szaro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
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10
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Angerilli A, Smialowski P, Rupp RA. The Xenopus animal cap transcriptome: building a mucociliary epithelium. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:8772-8787. [PMID: 30165493 PMCID: PMC6158741 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
With the availability of deep RNA sequencing, model organisms such as Xenopus offer an outstanding opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of vertebrate organ formation from its embryonic beginnings. Here we investigate dynamics of the RNA landscape during formation of the Xenopus tropicalis larval epidermis. Differentiation of non-neural ectoderm starts at gastrulation and takes about one day to produce a functional mucociliary epithelium, highly related to the one in human airways. To obtain RNA expression data, uncontaminated by non-epidermal tissues of the embryo, we use prospective ectodermal explants called Animal Caps (ACs), which differentiate autonomously into a ciliated epidermis. Their global transcriptome is investigated at three key timepoints, with a cumulative sequencing depth of ∼108 reads per developmental stage. This database is provided as online Web Tool to the scientific community. In this paper, we report on global changes in gene expression, an unanticipated diversity of mRNA splicing isoforms, expression patterns of repetitive DNA Elements, and the complexity of circular RNAs during this process. Computationally we derive transcription factor hubs from this data set, which may help in the future to define novel genetic drivers of epidermal differentiation in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Angerilli
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Pawel Smialowski
- Bioinformatic Core Facility, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany.,Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Stem Cell Research, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, D-85764 Neuherberg-München, Germany
| | - Ralph Aw Rupp
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
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11
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Popov IK, Ray HJ, Skoglund P, Keller R, Chang C. The RhoGEF protein Plekhg5 regulates apical constriction of bottle cells during gastrulation. Development 2018; 145:dev168922. [PMID: 30446627 PMCID: PMC6307888 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Apical constriction regulates epithelial morphogenesis during embryonic development, but how this process is controlled is not understood completely. Here, we identify a Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) gene plekhg5 as an essential regulator of apical constriction of bottle cells during Xenopus gastrulation. plekhg5 is expressed in the blastopore lip and its expression is sufficient to induce ectopic bottle cells in epithelia of different germ layers in a Rho-dependent manner. This activity is not shared by arhgef3, which encodes another organizer-specific RhoGEF. Plekhg5 protein is localized in the apical cell cortex via its pleckstrin homology domain, and the GEF activity enhances its apical recruitment. Plekhg5 induces apical actomyosin accumulation and cell elongation. Knockdown of plekhg5 inhibits activin-induced bottle cell formation and endogenous blastopore lip formation in gastrulating frog embryos. Apical accumulation of actomyosin, apical constriction and bottle cell formation fail to occur in these embryos. Taken together, our data indicate that transcriptional regulation of plekhg5 expression at the blastopore lip determines bottle cell morphology via local polarized activation of Rho by Plekhg5, which stimulates apical actomyosin activity to induce apical constriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan K Popov
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Heather J Ray
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Paul Skoglund
- Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Ray Keller
- Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Chenbei Chang
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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12
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Shawky JH, Balakrishnan UL, Stuckenholz C, Davidson LA. Multiscale analysis of architecture, cell size and the cell cortex reveals cortical F-actin density and composition are major contributors to mechanical properties during convergent extension. Development 2018; 145:dev161281. [PMID: 30190279 PMCID: PMC6198471 DOI: 10.1242/dev.161281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The large-scale movements that construct complex three-dimensional tissues during development are governed by universal physical principles. Fine-grained control of both mechanical properties and force production is crucial to the successful placement of tissues and shaping of organs. Embryos of the frog Xenopus laevis provide a dramatic example of these physical processes, as dorsal tissues increase in Young's modulus by six-fold to 80 Pascal over 8 h as germ layers and the central nervous system are formed. These physical changes coincide with emergence of complex anatomical structures, rounds of cell division, and cytoskeletal remodeling. To understand the contribution of these diverse structures, we adopt the cellular solids model to relate bulk stiffness of a solid foam to the unit size of individual cells, their microstructural organization, and their material properties. Our results indicate that large-scale tissue architecture and cell size are not likely to influence the bulk mechanical properties of early embryonic or progenitor tissues but that F-actin cortical density and composition of the F-actin cortex play major roles in regulating the physical mechanics of embryonic multicellular tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Shawky
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Uma L Balakrishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Carsten Stuckenholz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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13
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Castro Colabianchi AM, Revinski DR, Encinas PI, Baez MV, Monti RJ, Rodríguez Abinal M, Kodjabachian L, Franchini LF, López SL. Notch1 is asymmetrically distributed from the beginning of embryogenesis and controls the ventral center. Development 2018; 145:dev.159368. [PMID: 29866901 DOI: 10.1242/dev.159368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Based on functional evidence, we have previously demonstrated that early ventral Notch1 activity restricts dorsoanterior development in Xenopus We found that Notch1 has ventralizing properties and abolishes the dorsalizing activity of β-catenin by reducing its steady state levels, in a process that does not require β-catenin phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase 3β. In the present work, we demonstrate that Notch1 mRNA and protein are enriched in the ventral region from the beginning of embryogenesis in Xenopus This is the earliest sign of ventral development, preceding the localized expression of wnt8a, bmp4 and Ventx genes in the ventral center and the dorsal accumulation of nuclear β-catenin. Knockdown experiments indicate that Notch1 is necessary for the normal expression of genes essential for ventral-posterior development. These results indicate that during early embryogenesis ventrally located Notch1 promotes the development of the ventral center. Together with our previous evidence, these results suggest that ventral enrichment of Notch1 underlies the process by which Notch1 participates in restricting nuclear accumulation of β-catenin to the dorsal side.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitana M Castro Colabianchi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego R Revinski
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Paula I Encinas
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Verónica Baez
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Renato J Monti
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mateo Rodríguez Abinal
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Lucía F Franchini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvia L López
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias 'Prof. E. De Robertis' (IBCN), Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Embriología Molecular 'Prof. Dr. Andrés E. Carrasco', C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
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14
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Monteiro RS, Gentsch GE, Smith JC. Transcriptomics of dorso-ventral axis determination in Xenopus tropicalis. Dev Biol 2018; 439:69-79. [PMID: 29709598 PMCID: PMC5971218 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.04.022] [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: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian embryos provide a powerful system to study early cell fate determination because their eggs are externally fertilised, large, and easy to manipulate. Ultraviolet (UV) or lithium chloride (LiCl) treatment are classic embryonic manipulations frequently used to perturb specification of the dorso-ventral (DV) axis by affecting the stability of the maternal Wnt mediator β-catenin. Such treatments result in the formation of so-called ventralised or dorsalised embryos. Although these phenotypes have been well described with respect to their morphology and some aspects of gene expression, their whole transcriptomes have never been systematically characterised and compared. Here we show that at the early gastrula stage UV-treated embryos are transcriptionally more closely related to untreated embryos than to LiCl-treated embryos. Transcriptional comparisons with dissected ventral and dorsal regions of unperturbed gastrula embryos indicate that UV and LiCl treatments indeed enrich for ventral and dorsal cells, respectively. However, these treatments also affect the balance of neural induction in the ectodermal germ layer, with LiCl stimulating pro-neural BMP inhibition and UV preferentially generating epidermis because of elevated BMP levels. Thus the transcriptomes of UV- and LiCl-treated embryos can best be described as ventro-epidermalised and dorso-neuralised. These descriptions notwithstanding, our profiling reveals several hitherto uncharacterized genes with differential expression along the DV axis. At least one of these genes, a RNF220-like ubiquitin ligase, is activated dorsally by β-catenin. Our analysis of UV/LiCl-mediated axis perturbation will enhance the mechanistic understanding of DV axis determination in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita S Monteiro
- The Francis Crick Institute, Developmental Biology Laboratory, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom.
| | - George E Gentsch
- The Francis Crick Institute, Developmental Biology Laboratory, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - James C Smith
- The Francis Crick Institute, Developmental Biology Laboratory, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom.
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15
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Spemann organizer transcriptome induction by early beta-catenin, Wnt, Nodal, and Siamois signals in Xenopus laevis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E3081-E3090. [PMID: 28348214 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1700766114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The earliest event in Xenopus development is the dorsal accumulation of nuclear β-catenin under the influence of cytoplasmic determinants displaced by fertilization. In this study, a genome-wide approach was used to examine transcription of the 43,673 genes annotated in the Xenopus laevis genome under a variety of conditions that inhibit or promote formation of the Spemann organizer signaling center. Loss of function of β-catenin with antisense morpholinos reproducibly reduced the expression of 247 mRNAs at gastrula stage. Interestingly, only 123 β-catenin targets were enriched on the dorsal side and defined an early dorsal β-catenin gene signature. These genes included several previously unrecognized Spemann organizer components. Surprisingly, only 3 of these 123 genes overlapped with the late Wnt signature recently defined by two other groups using inhibition by Dkk1 mRNA or Wnt8 morpholinos, which indicates that the effects of β-catenin/Wnt signaling in early development are exquisitely regulated by stage-dependent mechanisms. We analyzed transcriptome responses to a number of treatments in a total of 46 RNA-seq libraries. These treatments included, in addition to β-catenin depletion, regenerating dorsal and ventral half-embryos, lithium chloride treatment, and the overexpression of Wnt8, Siamois, and Cerberus mRNAs. Only some of the early dorsal β-catenin signature genes were activated at blastula whereas others required the induction of endomesoderm, as indicated by their inhibition by Cerberus overexpression. These comprehensive data provide a rich resource for analyzing how the dorsal and ventral regions of the embryo communicate with each other in a self-organizing vertebrate model embryo.
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16
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Charney RM, Paraiso KD, Blitz IL, Cho KWY. A gene regulatory program controlling early Xenopus mesendoderm formation: Network conservation and motifs. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 66:12-24. [PMID: 28341363 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Germ layer formation is among the earliest differentiation events in metazoan embryos. In triploblasts, three germ layers are formed, among which the endoderm gives rise to the epithelial lining of the gut tube and associated organs including the liver, pancreas and lungs. In frogs (Xenopus), where early germ layer formation has been studied extensively, the process of endoderm specification involves the interplay of dozens of transcription factors. Here, we review the interactions between these factors, summarized in a transcriptional gene regulatory network (GRN). We highlight regulatory connections conserved between frog, fish, mouse, and human endodermal lineages. Especially prominent is the conserved role and regulatory targets of the Nodal signaling pathway and the T-box transcription factors, Vegt and Eomes. Additionally, we highlight network topologies and motifs, and speculate on their possible roles in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah M Charney
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Ayala School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Kitt D Paraiso
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Ayala School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ira L Blitz
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Ayala School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ken W Y Cho
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Ayala School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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