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Hinostroza F, Araya-Duran I, Piñeiro A, Lobos I, Pastenes L. Transcription factor roles in the local adaptation to temperature in the Andean Spiny Toad Rhinella spinulosa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15158. [PMID: 38956427 PMCID: PMC11220030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66127-5] [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: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental temperature strongly influences the adaptation dynamics of amphibians, whose limited regulation capabilities render them susceptible to thermal oscillations. A central element of the adaptive strategies is the transcription factors (TFs), which act as master regulators that orchestrate stress responses, enabling species to navigate the fluctuations of their environment skillfully. Our study delves into the intricate relationship between TF expression and thermal adaptation mechanisms in the Rhinella spinulosa populations. We sought to elucidate the dynamic modulations of TF expression in prometamorphic and metamorphic tadpoles that inhabit two thermally contrasting environments (Catarpe and El Tatio Geyser, Chile) and which were exposed to two thermal treatments (25 °C vs. 20 °C). Our findings unravel an intriguing dichotomy in response strategies between these populations. First, results evidence the expression of 1374 transcription factors. Regarding the temperature shift, the Catarpe tadpoles show a multifaceted approach by up-regulating crucial TFs, including fosB, atf7, and the androgen receptor. These dynamic regulatory responses likely underpin the population's ability to navigate thermal fluctuations effectively. In stark contrast, the El Tatio tadpoles exhibit a more targeted response, primarily up-regulating foxc1. This differential expression suggests a distinct focus on specific TFs to mitigate the effects of temperature variations. Our study contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms governing thermal adaptation responses and highlights the resilience and adaptability of amphibians in the face of ever-changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Hinostroza
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Departamento de Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Centro Para la Investigación Traslacional en Neurofarmacología, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Ingrid Araya-Duran
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandro Piñeiro
- Laboratorio de Genética y Microevolución, Departamento de Biología y Química, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Isabel Lobos
- Laboratorio de Genética y Microevolución, Departamento de Biología y Química, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Luis Pastenes
- Laboratorio de Genética y Microevolución, Departamento de Biología y Química, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
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Mok GF, Turner S, Smith EL, Mincarelli L, Lister A, Lipscombe J, Uzun V, Haerty W, Macaulay IC, Münsterberg AE. Single cell RNA-sequencing and RNA-tomography of the avian embryo extending body axis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1382960. [PMID: 38863942 PMCID: PMC11165230 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1382960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Vertebrate body axis formation initiates during gastrulation and continues within the tail bud at the posterior end of the embryo. Major structures in the trunk are paired somites, which generate the musculoskeletal system, the spinal cord-forming part of the central nervous system, and the notochord, with important patterning functions. The specification of these different cell lineages by key signalling pathways and transcription factors is essential, however, a global map of cell types and expressed genes in the avian trunk is missing. Methods: Here we use high-throughput sequencing approaches to generate a molecular map of the emerging trunk and tailbud in the chick embryo. Results and Discussion: Single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) identifies discrete cell lineages including somites, neural tube, neural crest, lateral plate mesoderm, ectoderm, endothelial and blood progenitors. In addition, RNA-seq of sequential tissue sections (RNA-tomography) provides a spatially resolved, genome-wide expression dataset for the avian tailbud and emerging body, comparable to other model systems. Combining the single cell and RNA-tomography datasets, we identify spatially restricted genes, focusing on somites and early myoblasts. Thus, this high-resolution transcriptome map incorporating cell types in the embryonic trunk can expose molecular pathways involved in body axis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. F. Mok
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - S. Turner
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - E. L. Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - A. Lister
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - V. Uzun
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - W. Haerty
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - A. E. Münsterberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Busby L, Serrano Nájera G, Steventon BJ. Intrinsic and extrinsic cues time somite progenitor contribution to the vertebrate primary body axis. eLife 2024; 13:e90499. [PMID: 38193440 PMCID: PMC10834026 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90499] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, the timing of events at the cellular level must be coordinated across multiple length scales to ensure the formation of a well-proportioned body plan. This is clear during somitogenesis, where progenitors must be allocated to the axis over time whilst maintaining a progenitor population for continued elaboration of the body plan. However, the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic signals in timing progenitor addition at the single-cell level is not yet understood. Heterochronic grafts from older to younger embryos have suggested a level of intrinsic timing whereby later staged cells contribute to more posterior portions of the axis. To determine the precise step at which cells are delayed, we performed single-cell transcriptomic analysis on heterochronic grafts of somite progenitors in the chicken embryo. This revealed a previously undescribed cell state within which heterochronic grafted cells are stalled. The delayed exit of older cells from this state correlates with expression of posterior Hox genes. Using grafting and explant culture, we find that both Hox gene expression and the migratory capabilities of progenitor populations are intrinsically regulated at the population level. However, by grafting varied sizes of tissue, we find that small heterochronic grafts disperse more readily and contribute to more anterior portions of the body axis while still maintaining Hox gene expression. This enhanced dispersion is not replicated in explant culture, suggesting that it is a consequence of interaction between host and donor tissue and thus extrinsic to the donor tissue. Therefore, we demonstrate that the timing of cell dispersion and resulting axis contribution is impacted by a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Busby
- Department of Genetics, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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Clark E, Battistara M, Benton MA. A timer gene network is spatially regulated by the terminal system in the Drosophila embryo. eLife 2022; 11:e78902. [PMID: 36524728 PMCID: PMC10065802 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78902] [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: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In insect embryos, anteroposterior patterning is coordinated by the sequential expression of the 'timer' genes caudal, Dichaete, and odd-paired, whose expression dynamics correlate with the mode of segmentation. In Drosophila, the timer genes are expressed broadly across much of the blastoderm, which segments simultaneously, but their expression is delayed in a small 'tail' region, just anterior to the hindgut, which segments during germband extension. Specification of the tail and the hindgut depends on the terminal gap gene tailless, but beyond this the regulation of the timer genes is poorly understood. We used a combination of multiplexed imaging, mutant analysis, and gene network modelling to resolve the regulation of the timer genes, identifying 11 new regulatory interactions and clarifying the mechanism of posterior terminal patterning. We propose that a dynamic Tailless expression gradient modulates the intrinsic dynamics of a timer gene cross-regulatory module, delineating the tail region and delaying its developmental maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Clark
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Genetics, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Margherita Battistara
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Matthew A Benton
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Developmental Biology Unit, EMBLHeidelbergGermany
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Lee S, Kim KH, Lee ES, Kim VJ, Kim SP, Ban S, Wang KC, Lee JY. The transcriptomic landscape of caudal cell mass in different developmental stages of the chick embryo. Childs Nerv Syst 2022; 38:2101-2111. [PMID: 36181521 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-022-05675-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The caudal cell mass (CCM) is an aggregate of undifferentiated pluripotent cells and the main player in secondary neurulation. Previous studies have elucidated the dynamic fate of the multipotent cell lineages, with a recent interest in the neuromesodermal progenitors. However, a transcriptomic analysis of the CCM during secondary neurulation has not been performed yet. METHODS We analyzed RNA sequencing data of CCM samples at three different developmental stages of chicken embryos; HH16 (largest CCM phase), HH20 (secondary neural tube formation phase), and HH28 (degeneration phase). RESULTS The transcriptomic profiles were clearly distinguishable according to developmental stage, and HH20 was shown to have not only intermediate, but also unique properties in secondary neurulation. A total of 10,666 differentially expressed genes, including FGF18 and GDF11, were identified and enriched in several gene ontologies related to embryogenesis or organogenesis. We also found that genes encoding transcription factors, such as TWIST2, IRX4, HOXB4, HOXD13, LIN28A, CDX4, and Brachyury, were among the top-ranked differentially expressed genes. CONCLUSION Through transcriptomic profiling, we provided a picture of the developmental process of the CCM. We identified several key molecules or pathways involved in secondary neurulation and the pathogenesis of related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungbok Lee
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Hyun Kim
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Sun Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Veronica Jihyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Saet Pyoul Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Saeli Ban
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Chang Wang
- Center for Rare Cancers, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yeoun Lee
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea. .,Genomic Medicine Institute, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract
In this manuscript, we address an essential question in developmental and evolutionary biology: How have changes in gene regulatory networks contributed to the invertebrate-to-vertebrate transition? To address this issue, we perturbed four signaling pathways critical for body plan formation in the cephalochordate amphioxus and in zebrafish and compared the effects of such perturbations on gene expression and gene regulation in both species. Our data reveal that many developmental genes have gained response to these signaling pathways in the vertebrate lineage. Moreover, we show that the interconnectivity between these pathways is much higher in zebrafish than in amphioxus. We conclude that this increased signaling pathway complexity likely contributed to vertebrate morphological novelties during evolution. Signaling pathways control a large number of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) during animal development, acting as major tools for body plan formation [A. Pires-daSilva, R. J. Sommer, Nat. Rev. Genet. 4, 39–49 (2003)], although only a few of these pathways operate during this period [J. J. Sanz-Ezquerro, A. E. Münsterberg, S. Stricker, Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 5, 76 (2017)]. Moreover, most of them have been largely conserved during metazoan evolution [L. S. Babonis, M. Q. Martindale, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 372, 20150477 (2017)]. How evolution has generated a vast diversity of animal morphologies with such a limited number of tools is still largely unknown. Here, we show that gain of interconnectivity between signaling pathways and the GRNs they control may have critically contributed to the origin of vertebrates. We perturbed the retinoic acid, Wnt, FGF, and Nodal signaling pathways during gastrulation in the invertebrate chordate amphioxus and zebrafish and compared the effects on gene expression and cis-regulatory elements (CREs). We found that multiple developmental genes gain response to these pathways through vertebrate-specific CREs. Moreover, in contrast to amphioxus, many of these CREs responded to multiple pathways in zebrafish, which reflects their high interconnectivity. Furthermore, we found that vertebrate-specific cell types are more enriched in highly interconnected genes than in tissues with more ancient origin. Thus, the increase of CREs in vertebrates integrating inputs from different signaling pathways probably contributed to gene expression complexity and to the formation of new cell types and morphological novelties in this lineage.
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Needham J, Metzis V. Heads or tails: Making the spinal cord. Dev Biol 2022; 485:80-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Joshi P, Skromne I. A theoretical model of neural maturation in the developing chick spinal cord. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244219. [PMID: 33338079 PMCID: PMC7748286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular differentiation is a tightly regulated process under the control of intricate signaling and transcription factors interaction network working in coordination. These interactions make the systems dynamic, robust and stable but also difficult to dissect. In the spinal cord, recent work has shown that a network of FGF, WNT and Retinoic Acid (RA) signaling factors regulate neural maturation by directing the activity of a transcription factor network that contains CDX at its core. Here we have used partial and ordinary (Hill) differential equation based models to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of the FGF/WNT/RA and the CDX/transcription factor networks, alone and in combination. We show that in both networks, the strength of interaction among network partners impacts the dynamics, behavior and output of the system. In the signaling network, interaction strength determine the position and size of discrete regions of cell differentiation and small changes in the strength of the interactions among networking partners can result in a signal overriding, balancing or oscillating with another signal. We also show that the spatiotemporal information generated by the signaling network can be conveyed to the CDX/transcription network to produces a transition zone that separates regions of high cell potency from regions of cell differentiation, in agreement with most in vivo observations. Importantly, one emerging property of the networks is their robustness to extrinsic disturbances, which allows the system to retain or canalize NP cells in developmental trajectories. This analysis provides a model for the interaction conditions underlying spinal cord cell maturation during embryonic axial elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyush Joshi
- Division of Pediatric Neuro-oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Isaac Skromne
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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Berenguer M, Meyer KF, Yin J, Duester G. Discovery of genes required for body axis and limb formation by global identification of retinoic acid-regulated epigenetic marks. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000719. [PMID: 32421711 PMCID: PMC7259794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of target genes that mediate required functions downstream of transcription factors is hampered by the large number of genes whose expression changes when the factor is removed from a specific tissue and the numerous binding sites for the factor in the genome. Retinoic acid (RA) regulates transcription via RA receptors bound to RA response elements (RAREs) of which there are thousands in vertebrate genomes. Here, we combined chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) for epigenetic marks and RNA-seq on trunk tissue from wild-type and Aldh1a2-/- embryos lacking RA synthesis that exhibit body axis and forelimb defects. We identified a relatively small number of genes with altered expression when RA is missing that also have nearby RA-regulated deposition of histone H3 K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) (gene activation mark) or histone H3 K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) (gene repression mark) associated with conserved RAREs, suggesting these genes function downstream of RA. RA-regulated epigenetic marks were identified near RA target genes already known to be required for body axis and limb formation, thus validating our approach; plus, many other candidate RA target genes were found. Nuclear receptor 2f1 (Nr2f1) and nuclear receptor 2f2 (Nr2f2) in addition to Meis homeobox 1 (Meis1) and Meis homeobox 2 (Meis2) gene family members were identified by our approach, and double knockouts of each family demonstrated previously unknown requirements for body axis and/or limb formation. A similar epigenetic approach can be used to determine the target genes for any transcriptional regulator for which a knockout is available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Berenguer
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Karolin F. Meyer
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jun Yin
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Gregg Duester
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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