1
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Thor S. Indirect neurogenesis in space and time. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:519-534. [PMID: 38951687 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00833-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) generate neurons and glia in two different ways. In direct neurogenesis, daughter cells differentiate directly into neurons or glia, whereas in indirect neurogenesis, neurons or glia are generated after one or more daughter cell divisions. Intriguingly, indirect neurogenesis is not stochastically deployed and plays instructive roles during CNS development: increased generation of cells from specific lineages; increased generation of early or late-born cell types within a lineage; and increased cell diversification. Increased indirect neurogenesis might contribute to the anterior CNS expansion evident throughout the Bilateria and help to modify brain-region size without requiring increased NPC numbers or extended neurogenesis. Increased indirect neurogenesis could be an evolutionary driver of the gyrencephalic (that is, folded) cortex that emerged during mammalian evolution and might even have increased during hominid evolution. Thus, selection of indirect versus direct neurogenesis provides a powerful developmental and evolutionary instrument that drives not only the evolution of CNS complexity but also brain expansion and modulation of brain-region size, and thereby the evolution of increasingly advanced cognitive abilities. This Review describes indirect neurogenesis in several model species and humans, and highlights some of the molecular genetic mechanisms that control this important process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Thor
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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2
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Zhu Q, Liu P, Zhang M, Kang Y, Lv L, Xu H, Zhang Q, Li R, Pan C, Lan X. The Detection of a Functional 168 bp Deletion of the HOXB13 Gene Determining Short Tail and Its Association with Senior Growth Traits in Sheep Breeds Worldwide. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1617. [PMID: 38891664 PMCID: PMC11171003 DOI: 10.3390/ani14111617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered that the HOXB13 gene is a key regulatory factor for the tail length trait of sheep. Further research has found that there is a functional 168 bp SINE element insertion upstream of the HOXB13 gene, which leads to the occurrence of long tails in sheep. However, the frequency of mutations in the 168 bp SINE element of the HOXB13 gene among different sheep breeds around the world and its relationship with growth traits are still unclear. This study used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, including 588 samples from 33 different sheep breeds around the world, to evaluate the frequency of HOXB13 gene mutations in different sheep breeds globally. At the same time, this study also selected 3392 sheep samples from six breeds. The genetic variation in the 168 bp InDel locus in the HOXB13 gene was determined through genotyping, and its association with the growth traits of Luxi black-headed sheep was analyzed. The research results indicate that the polymorphism of the 168 bp InDel locus is significantly correlated with the hip width of adult ewes in the Luxi black-headed sheep breed (p < 0.05) and that the hip width of adult ewes with the DD genotype is significantly larger than that of adult ewes with the ID genotype (p < 0.05). This study indicates that there is consistency between the research results on the sheep tail length trait and growth traits, which may contribute to the promotion of sheep breed improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihui Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Peiyao Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Mingshi Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China;
| | - Yuxin Kang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Linmi Lv
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Hongwei Xu
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, China;
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- Tianjin Aoqun Sheep Industry Academy Company, Tianjin 300000, China;
| | - Ran Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Chuanying Pan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Xianyong Lan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (Q.Z.); (P.L.); (Y.K.); (L.L.); (R.L.); (C.P.)
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3
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White MA. Rapid evolution of body plans. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:604-605. [PMID: 38378803 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02141-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A White
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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4
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Kingsley EP, Hager ER, Lassance JM, Turner KM, Harringmeyer OS, Kirby C, Neugeboren BI, Hoekstra HE. Adaptive tail-length evolution in deer mice is associated with differential Hoxd13 expression in early development. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:791-805. [PMID: 38378804 PMCID: PMC11009118 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02346-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Variation in the size and number of axial segments underlies much of the diversity in animal body plans. Here we investigate the evolutionary, genetic and developmental mechanisms driving tail-length differences between forest and prairie ecotypes of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). We first show that long-tailed forest mice perform better in an arboreal locomotion assay, consistent with tails being important for balance during climbing. We then identify six genomic regions that contribute to differences in tail length, three of which associate with caudal vertebra length and the other three with vertebra number. For all six loci, the forest allele increases tail length, indicative of the cumulative effect of natural selection. Two of the genomic regions associated with variation in vertebra number contain Hox gene clusters. Of those, we find an allele-specific decrease in Hoxd13 expression in the embryonic tail bud of long-tailed forest mice, consistent with its role in axial elongation. Additionally, we find that forest embryos have more presomitic mesoderm than prairie embryos and that this correlates with an increase in the number of neuromesodermal progenitors, which are modulated by Hox13 paralogues. Together, these results suggest a role for Hoxd13 in the development of natural variation in adaptive morphology on a microevolutionary timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan P Kingsley
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Emily R Hager
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Kyle M Turner
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olivia S Harringmeyer
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher Kirby
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Beverly I Neugeboren
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Environmental Health and Safety, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Halabi S, Guo S, Park JJ, Nanus DM, George DJ, Antonarakis ES, Danila DC, Szmulewitz RZ, McDonnell DP, Norris JD, Lu C, Luo J, Armstrong AJ. The Impact of Circulating Tumor Cell HOXB13 RNA Detection in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) Treated with Abiraterone or Enzalutamide. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1152-1159. [PMID: 38236581 PMCID: PMC10947837 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-3017] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE HOXB13 is an androgen receptor (AR) coregulator specifically expressed in cells of prostatic lineage. We sought to associate circulating tumor cell (CTC) HOXB13 expression with outcomes in men with mCRPC treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We conducted a retrospective analysis of the multicenter prospective PROPHECY trial of mCRPC men (NCT02269982, n = 118) treated with abiraterone/enzalutamide. CTC detection and HOXB13 complementary DNA (cDNA) expression was measured using a modified Adnatest, grouping patients into 3 categories: CTC 0 (undetectable); CTC+ HOXB13 CTC low (<4 copies); or CTC+ HOXB13 CTC high. The HOXB13 threshold was determined by maximally selected rank statistics for prognostic associations with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS We included 102 men with sufficient CTC HOXB13 cDNA, identifying 25%, 31%, and 44% of patients who were CTC 0, CTC+ HOXB13 low, and CTC+ HOXB13 high, respectively. Median OS were 25.7, 27.8, and 12.1 months whereas the median PFS were 9.0, 7.7, and 3.8 months, respectively. In subgroup analysis among men with CellSearch CTCs ≥5 copies/mL and adjusting for prior abi/enza treatment and Halabi clinical risk score, the multivariate HR for HOXB13 CTC detection was 2.39 (95% CI, 1.06-5.40) for OS and 2.78 (95% CI, 1.38-5.59) for PFS, respectively. Low HOXB13 CTC detection was associated with lower CTC PSA, PSMA, AR-FL, and AR-V7 detection, and more liver/lung metastases (41% vs. 25%). CONCLUSIONS Higher CTC HOXB13 expression is associated with AR-dependent biomarkers in CTCs and is adversely prognostic in the context of potent AR inhibition in men with mCRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Halabi
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Medicine, Duke Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Siyuan Guo
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Joseph J Park
- Department of Medicine, Duke Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - David M Nanus
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Daniel J George
- Department of Medicine, Duke Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Daniel Costin Danila
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Donald P McDonnell
- Department of Medicine, Duke Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - John D Norris
- Department of Medicine, Duke Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Changxue Lu
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Andrew J Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Duke Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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6
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Li T, Jin M, Wang H, Zhang W, Yuan Z, Wei C. Whole-Genome Scanning for Selection Signatures Reveals Candidate Genes Associated with Growth and Tail Length in Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:687. [PMID: 38473071 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Compared to Chinese indigenous sheep, Western sheep have rapid growth rate, larger physique, and higher meat yield. These excellent Western sheep were introduced into China for crossbreeding to expedite the enhancement of production performance and mutton quality in local breeds. Here, we investigated population genetic structure and genome-wide selection signatures among the Chinese indigenous sheep and the introduced sheep based on whole-genome resequencing data. The PCA, N-J tree and ADMIXTURE results showed significant genetic difference between Chinese indigenous sheep and introduced sheep. The nucleotide diversity (π) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay results indicated that the genomic diversity of introduced breeds were lower. Then, Fst & π ratio, XP-EHH, and de-correlated composite of multiple signals (DCMS) methods were used to detect the selection signals. The results showed that we identified important candidate genes related to growth rate and body size in the introduced breeds. Selected genes with stronger selection signatures are associated with growth rate (CRADD), embryonic development (BVES, LIN28B, and WNT11), body size (HMGA2, MSRB3, and PTCH1), muscle development and fat metabolism (MSTN, PDE3A, LGALS12, GGPS1, and SAR1B), wool color (ASIP), and hair development (KRT71, KRT74, and IRF2BP2). Thus, these genes have the potential to serve as candidate genes for enhancing the growth traits of Chinese indigenous sheep. We also identified tail-length trait-related candidate genes (HOXB13, LIN28A, PAX3, and VEGFA) in Chinese long-tailed breeds. Among these genes, HOXB13 is the main candidate gene for sheep tail length phenotype. LIN28A, PAX3, and VEGFA are related to embryonic development and angiogenesis, so these genes may be candidate genes for sheep tail type traits. This study will serve as a foundation for further genetic improvement of Chinese indigenous sheep and as a reference for studies related to growth and development of sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taotao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Meilin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wentao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zehu Yuan
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Caihong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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7
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Cumplido N, Arratia G, Desvignes T, Muñoz-Sánchez S, Postlethwait JH, Allende ML. Hox genes control homocercal caudal fin development and evolution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj5991. [PMID: 38241378 PMCID: PMC10798566 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj5991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Ancient bony fishes had heterocercal tails, like modern sharks and sturgeons, with asymmetric caudal fins and a vertebral column extending into an elongated upper lobe. Teleost fishes, in contrast, developed a homocercal tail characterized by two separate equal-sized fin lobes and the body axis not extending into the caudal fin. A similar heterocercal-to-homocercal transition occurs during teleost ontogeny, although the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms for either transition remain unresolved. Here, we investigated the role of hox13 genes in caudal fin formation as these genes control posterior identity in animals. Analysis of expression profiles of zebrafish hox13 paralogs and phenotypes of CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants showed that double hoxb13a and hoxc13a mutants fail to form a caudal fin. Furthermore, single mutants display heterocercal-like morphologies not seen since Mesozoic fossil teleosteomorphs. Relaxation of functional constraints after the teleost genome duplication may have allowed hox13 duplicates to neo- or subfunctionalize, ultimately contributing to the evolution of a homocercal tail in teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Cumplido
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Arratia
- University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Thomas Desvignes
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Salomé Muñoz-Sánchez
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Miguel L. Allende
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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8
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Patel RA, Sayar E, Coleman I, Roudier MP, Hanratty B, Low JY, Jaiswal N, Ajkunic A, Dumpit R, Ercan C, Salama N, O’Brien VP, Isaacs WB, Epstein JI, De Marzo AM, Trock BJ, Luo J, Brennen WN, Tretiakova M, Vakar-Lopez F, True LD, Goodrich DW, Corey E, Morrissey C, Nelson PS, Hurley PJ, Gulati R, Haffner MC. Characterization of HOXB13 expression patterns in localized and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. J Pathol 2024; 262:105-120. [PMID: 37850574 PMCID: PMC10871027 DOI: 10.1002/path.6216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
HOXB13 is a key lineage homeobox transcription factor that plays a critical role in the differentiation of the prostate gland. Several studies have suggested that HOXB13 alterations may be involved in prostate cancer development and progression. Despite its potential biological relevance, little is known about the expression of HOXB13 across the disease spectrum of prostate cancer. To this end, we validated a HOXB13 antibody using genetic controls and investigated HOXB13 protein expression in murine and human developing prostates, localized prostate cancers, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers. We observed that HOXB13 expression increases during later stages of murine prostate development. All localized prostate cancers showed HOXB13 protein expression. Interestingly, lower HOXB13 expression levels were observed in higher-grade tumors, although no significant association between HOXB13 expression and recurrence or disease-specific survival was found. In advanced metastatic prostate cancers, HOXB13 expression was retained in the majority of tumors. While we observed lower levels of HOXB13 protein and mRNA levels in tumors with evidence of lineage plasticity, 84% of androgen receptor-negative castration-resistant prostate cancers and neuroendocrine prostate cancers (NEPCs) retained detectable levels of HOXB13. Notably, the reduced expression observed in NEPCs was associated with a gain of HOXB13 gene body CpG methylation. In comparison to the commonly used prostate lineage marker NKX3.1, HOXB13 showed greater sensitivity in detecting advanced metastatic prostate cancers. Additionally, in a cohort of 837 patients, 383 with prostatic and 454 with non-prostatic tumors, we found that HOXB13 immunohistochemistry had a 97% sensitivity and 99% specificity for prostatic origin. Taken together, our studies provide valuable insight into the expression pattern of HOXB13 during prostate development and cancer progression. Furthermore, our findings support the utility of HOXB13 as a diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer, particularly to confirm the prostatic origin of advanced metastatic castration-resistant tumors. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhika A. Patel
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Erolcan Sayar
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ilsa Coleman
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Brian Hanratty
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jin-Yih Low
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Neha Jaiswal
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Azra Ajkunic
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ruth Dumpit
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Caner Ercan
- Institute of Pathology and Medical Genetics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Salama
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Valerie P. O’Brien
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William B. Isaacs
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - Jonathan I. Epstein
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - Angelo M. De Marzo
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - Bruce J. Trock
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - W Nathaniel Brennen
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - Maria Tretiakova
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Funda Vakar-Lopez
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lawrence D. True
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David W. Goodrich
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Colm Morrissey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter S. Nelson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paula J. Hurley
- Departments of Medicine and Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Roman Gulati
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael C. Haffner
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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9
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Smith JJ, Kratsios P. Hox gene functions in the C. elegans nervous system: From early patterning to maintenance of neuronal identity. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 152-153:58-69. [PMID: 36496326 PMCID: PMC10244487 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system emerges from a series of genetic programs that generate a remarkable array of neuronal cell types. Each cell type must acquire a distinct anatomical position, morphology, and function, enabling the generation of specialized circuits that drive animal behavior. How are these diverse cell types and circuits patterned along the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis of the animal body? Hox genes encode transcription factors that regulate cell fate and patterning events along the A-P axis of the nervous system. While most of our understanding of Hox-mediated control of neuronal development stems from studies in segmented animals like flies, mice, and zebrafish, important new themes are emerging from work in a non-segmented animal: the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Studies in C. elegans support the idea that Hox genes are needed continuously and across different life stages in the nervous system; they are not only required in dividing progenitor cells, but also in post-mitotic neurons during development and adult life. In C. elegans embryos and young larvae, Hox genes control progenitor cell specification, cell survival, and neuronal migration, consistent with their neural patterning roles in other animals. In late larvae and adults, C. elegans Hox genes control neuron type-specific identity features critical for neuronal function, thereby extending the Hox functional repertoire beyond early patterning. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of Hox studies in the C. elegans nervous system. To relate to readers outside the C. elegans community, we highlight conserved roles of Hox genes in patterning the nervous system of invertebrate and vertebrate animals. We end by calling attention to new functions in adult post-mitotic neurons for these paradigmatic regulators of cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayson J Smith
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, 947 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, 947 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Paschalis Kratsios
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, 947 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, 947 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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10
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Laurenge A, Huillard E, Bielle F, Idbaih A. Cell of Origin of Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1394:85-101. [PMID: 36587383 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-14732-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
A better understanding of cellular and molecular biology of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors is a critical step toward the design of innovative treatments. In addition to improving knowledge, identification of the cell of origin in tumors allows for sharp and efficient targeting of specific tumor cells promoting and driving oncogenic processes. The World Health Organization identifies approximately 150 primary brain tumor subtypes with various ontogeny and clinical outcomes. Identification of the cell of origin of each tumor type with its lineage and differentiation level is challenging. In the current chapter, we report the suspected cell of origin of various CNS primary tumors including gliomas, glioneuronal tumors, medulloblastoma, meningioma, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, germinomas, and lymphoma. Most of them have been pinpointed through transgenic mouse models and analysis of molecular signatures of tumors. Identification of the cell or cells of origin in primary brain tumors will undoubtedly open new therapeutic avenues, including the reactivation of differentiation programs for therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Laurenge
- AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Service de Neurologie 2-Mazarin, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Huillard
- INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Franck Bielle
- AP-HP, SIRIC CURAMUS, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de La Moelle Épinière, ICM, Service de Neuropathologie Escourolle, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Ahmed Idbaih
- AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Service de Neurologie 2-Mazarin, 75013, Paris, France.
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11
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Abstract
Hox genes encode evolutionarily conserved transcription factors that are essential for the proper development of bilaterian organisms. Hox genes are unique because they are spatially and temporally regulated during development in a manner that is dictated by their tightly linked genomic organization. Although their genetic function during embryonic development has been interrogated, less is known about how these transcription factors regulate downstream genes to direct morphogenetic events. Moreover, the continued expression and function of Hox genes at postnatal and adult stages highlights crucial roles for these genes throughout the life of an organism. Here, we provide an overview of Hox genes, highlighting their evolutionary history, their unique genomic organization and how this impacts the regulation of their expression, what is known about their protein structure, and their deployment in development and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine A. Hubert
- Program in Genetics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Deneen M. Wellik
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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12
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Shaping Hox gene activity to generate morphological diversity across vertebrate phylogeny. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:717-726. [PMID: 35924372 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The importance of Hox genes for the development and evolution of the vertebrate axial skeleton and paired appendages has been recognized for already several decades. The steady growth of genomic sequence data from an increasing number of vertebrate species, together with the improvement of methods to analyze genomic structure and interactions, as well as to control gene activity in various species has refined our understanding of Hox gene activity in development and evolution. Here, I will review recent data addressing the influence of Hox regulatory processes in the evolution of the fins and the emergence of the tetrapod limb. In addition, I will discuss the involvement of posterior Hox genes in the control of vertebrate axial extension, focusing on an apparently divergent activity that Hox13 paralog group genes have on the regulation of tail bud development in mouse and zebrafish embryos.
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13
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Kalds P, Huang S, Chen Y, Wang X. Ovine HOXB13: expanding the gene repertoire of sheep tail patterning and implications in genetic improvement. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1196. [DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04199-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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14
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Solovieva T, Wilson V, Stern CD. A niche for axial stem cells - A cellular perspective in amniotes. Dev Biol 2022; 490:13-21. [PMID: 35779606 PMCID: PMC10497457 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.06.015] [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: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The head-tail axis in birds and mammals develops from a growth zone in the tail-end, which contains the node. This growth zone then forms the tailbud. Labelling experiments have shown that while many cells leave the node and tailbud to contribute to axial (notochord, floorplate) and paraxial (somite) structures, some cells remain resident in the node and tailbud. Could these cells be resident axial stem cells? If so, do the node and tailbud represent an instructive stem cell niche that specifies and maintains these stem cells? Serial transplantation and single cell labelling studies support the existence of self-renewing stem cells and heterotopic transplantations suggest that the node can instruct such self-renewing behaviour. However, only single cell manipulations can reveal whether self-renewing behaviour occurs at the level of a cell population (asymmetric or symmetric cell divisions) or at the level of single cells (asymmetric divisions only). We combine data on resident cells in the node and tailbud and review it in the context of axial development in chick and mouse, summarising our current understanding of axial stem cells and their niche and highlighting future directions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Solovieva
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK
| | - Valerie Wilson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claudio D Stern
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.
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15
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Lagler DK, Hannemann E, Eck K, Klawatsch J, Seichter D, Russ I, Mendel C, Lühken G, Krebs S, Blum H, Upadhyay M, Medugorac I. Fine-mapping and identification of candidate causal genes for tail length in the Merinolandschaf breed. Commun Biol 2022; 5:918. [PMID: 36068271 PMCID: PMC9448734 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03854-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Docking the tails of lambs in long-tailed sheep breeds is a common practice worldwide. But this practice is associated with pain. Breeding for a shorter tail could offer an alternative. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the natural tail length variation in the Merinolandschaf and to identify causal alleles for the short tail phenotype segregating within long-tailed breeds. We used SNP-based association analysis and haplotype-based mapping in 362 genotyped (Illumina OvineSNP50) and phenotyped Merinolandschaf lambs. Genome-wide significant regions were capture sequenced in 48 lambs and comparatively analyzed in various long and short-tailed sheep breeds and wild sheep subspecies. Here we show a SNP located in the first exon of HOXB13 and a SINE element located in the promotor of HOXB13 as promising candidates. These results enable more precise breeding towards shorter tails, improve animal welfare by amplification of ancestral alleles and contribute to a better understanding of differential embryonic development. Using SNP-association analysis and genetic mapping, a SNP and an insertion in and close to HOXB13 associated with short tail length is identified in Merino sheep, which may be a target for safely selecting shorter tails and improving sheep welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Karl Lagler
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Lena-Christ-Str. 48, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Tierzuchtforschung e.V. München, Senator-Gerauer-Str. 23, 85586, Poing, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hannemann
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Lena-Christ-Str. 48, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Kim Eck
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Lena-Christ-Str. 48, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Tierzuchtforschung e.V. München, Senator-Gerauer-Str. 23, 85586, Poing, Germany
| | - Jürgen Klawatsch
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Lena-Christ-Str. 48, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Tierzuchtforschung e.V. München, Senator-Gerauer-Str. 23, 85586, Poing, Germany
| | - Doris Seichter
- Tierzuchtforschung e.V. München, Senator-Gerauer-Str. 23, 85586, Poing, Germany
| | - Ingolf Russ
- Tierzuchtforschung e.V. München, Senator-Gerauer-Str. 23, 85586, Poing, Germany
| | - Christian Mendel
- Institute for Animal Breeding, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Prof.-Dürrwaechter-Platz 1, 85586, Poing, Germany
| | - Gesine Lühken
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, JLU Gießen, Ludwigstr. 21, 35390, Gießen, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Maulik Upadhyay
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Lena-Christ-Str. 48, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ivica Medugorac
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Lena-Christ-Str. 48, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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16
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Ahbara AM, Musa HH, Robert C, Abebe A, Al-Jumaili AS, Kebede A, Latairish S, Agoub MO, Clark E, Hanotte O, Mwacharo JM. Natural adaptation and human selection of northeast African sheep genomes. Genomics 2022; 114:110448. [PMID: 35964803 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
African sheep manifest diverse but distinct physio-anatomical traits, which are the outcomes of natural- and human-driven selection. Here, we generated 34.8 million variants from 150 indigenous northeast African sheep genomes sequenced at an average depth of ∼54× for 130 samples (Ethiopia, Libya) and ∼20× for 20 samples (Sudan). These represented sheep from diverse environments, tail morphology and post-Neolithic introductions to Africa. Phylogenetic and model-based admixture analysis provided evidence of four genetic groups corresponding to altitudinal geographic origins, tail morphotypes and possible historical introduction and dispersal of the species into and across the continent. Running admixture at higher levels of K (6 ≤ K ≤ 25), revealed cryptic levels of genome intermixing as well as distinct genetic backgrounds in some populations. Comparative genomic analysis identified targets of selection that spanned conserved haplotype structures overlapping clusters of genes and gene families. These were related to hypoxia responses, ear morphology, caudal vertebrae and tail skeleton length, and tail fat-depot structures. Our findings provide novel insights underpinning morphological variation and response to human-driven selection and environmental adaptation in African indigenous sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abulgasim M Ahbara
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Misurata University, Misurata, Libya; School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK; Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; LiveGene, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, The Roslin Institute Building, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Hassan H Musa
- Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Christelle Robert
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ayele Abebe
- Debre Berhan Research Centre, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Ahmed S Al-Jumaili
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Al-Maarif University College, Ramadi, Anbar, Iraq
| | - Adebabay Kebede
- LiveGene-CTLGH, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Suliman Latairish
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Misurata University, Misurata, Libya
| | | | - Emily Clark
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Olivier Hanotte
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK; LiveGene-CTLGH, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Joram M Mwacharo
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, The Roslin Institute Building, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK.
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17
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Sipani R, Joshi R. Hox genes collaborate with helix-loop-helix factor Grainyhead to promote neuroblast apoptosis along the anterior-posterior axis of the Drosophila larval central nervous system. Genetics 2022; 222:6632667. [DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hox genes code for a family of a homeodomain (HD) containing transcription factors that use TALE-HD containing factors Pbx/Exd and Meis/Hth to specify the development of the anterior-posterior (AP) axis of an organism. However, the absence of TALE-HD containing factors from specific tissues emphasizes the need to identify and validate new Hox cofactors. In Drosophila central nervous system (CNS), Hox execute segment-specific apoptosis of neural stem cells (neuroblasts-NBs) and neurons. In abdominal segments of larval CNS, Hox gene Abdominal-A (AbdA) mediates NB apoptosis with the help of Exd and bHLH factor Grainyhead (Grh) using a 717 bp apoptotic enhancer. In this study, we show that this enhancer is critical for abdominal NB apoptosis and relies on two separable set of DNA binding motifs responsible for its initiation and maintenance. Our results also show that AbdA and Grh interact through their highly conserved DNA binding domains, and the DNA binding specificity of AbdA-HD is important for it to interact with Grh and essential for it to execute NB apoptosis in CNS. We also establish that Grh is required for Hox-dependent NB apoptosis in Labial and Sex Combs Reduced (Scr) expressing regions of the CNS, and it can physically interact with all the Hox proteins in vitro. Our biochemical and functional data collectively support the idea that Grh can function as a Hox cofactor and help them carry out their in vivo roles during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Sipani
- Laboratory of Drosophila Neural Development, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) , Inner Ring Road, Uppal, Hyderabad-500039. India
- Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education , Manipal 576104, India
| | - Rohit Joshi
- Laboratory of Drosophila Neural Development, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) , Inner Ring Road, Uppal, Hyderabad-500039. India
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18
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Yaghmaeian Salmani B, Balderson B, Bauer S, Ekman H, Starkenberg A, Perlmann T, Piper M, Bodén M, Thor S. Selective requirement for polycomb repressor complex 2 in the generation of specific hypothalamic neuronal subtypes. Development 2022; 149:274592. [PMID: 35245348 PMCID: PMC8959139 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus displays staggering cellular diversity, chiefly established during embryogenesis by the interplay of several signalling pathways and a battery of transcription factors. However, the contribution of epigenetic cues to hypothalamus development remains unclear. We mutated the polycomb repressor complex 2 gene Eed in the developing mouse hypothalamus, which resulted in the loss of H3K27me3, a fundamental epigenetic repressor mark. This triggered ectopic expression of posteriorly expressed regulators (e.g. Hox homeotic genes), upregulation of cell cycle inhibitors and reduced proliferation. Surprisingly, despite these effects, single cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that most neuronal subtypes were still generated in Eed mutants. However, we observed an increase in glutamatergic/GABAergic double-positive cells, as well as loss/reduction of dopamine, hypocretin and Tac2-Pax6 neurons. These findings indicate that many aspects of the hypothalamic gene regulatory flow can proceed without the key H3K27me3 epigenetic repressor mark, but points to a unique sensitivity of particular neuronal subtypes to a disrupted epigenomic landscape. Summary: Polycomb repressor complex 2 inactivation results in selective effects on mouse hypothalamic development, increasing glutamatergic/GABA cells, while reducing dopamine, Hcrt and Tac2-Pax6 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Yaghmaeian Salmani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185 Linkoping, Sweden
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brad Balderson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Susanne Bauer
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185 Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Helen Ekman
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185 Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Annika Starkenberg
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185 Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Thomas Perlmann
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Piper
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mikael Bodén
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Stefan Thor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-58185 Linkoping, Sweden
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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19
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Saxena A, Sharma V, Muthuirulan P, Neufeld SJ, Tran MP, Gutierrez HL, Chen KD, Erberich JM, Birmingham A, Capellini TD, Cobb J, Hiller M, Cooper KL. Interspecies transcriptomics identify genes that underlie disproportionate foot growth in jerboas. Curr Biol 2022; 32:289-303.e6. [PMID: 34793695 PMCID: PMC8792248 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Despite the great diversity of vertebrate limb proportion and our deep understanding of the genetic mechanisms that drive skeletal elongation, little is known about how individual bones reach different lengths in any species. Here, we directly compare the transcriptomes of homologous growth cartilages of the mouse (Mus musculus) and bipedal jerboa (Jaculus jaculus), the latter of which has "mouse-like" arms but extremely long metatarsals of the feet. Intersecting gene-expression differences in metatarsals and forearms of the two species revealed that about 10% of orthologous genes are associated with the disproportionately rapid elongation of neonatal jerboa feet. These include genes and enriched pathways not previously associated with endochondral elongation as well as those that might diversify skeletal proportion in addition to their known requirements for bone growth throughout the skeleton. We also identified transcription regulators that might act as "nodes" for sweeping differences in genome expression between species. Among these, Shox2, which is necessary for proximal limb elongation, has gained expression in jerboa metatarsals where it has not been detected in other vertebrates. We show that Shox2 is sufficient to increase mouse distal limb length, and a nearby putative cis-regulatory region is preferentially accessible in jerboa metatarsals. In addition to mechanisms that might directly promote growth, we found evidence that jerboa foot elongation may occur in part by de-repressing latent growth potential. The genes and pathways that we identified here provide a framework to understand the modular genetic control of skeletal growth and the remarkable malleability of vertebrate limb proportion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Saxena
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Virag Sharma
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany; Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nothnitzerstraße 38, Dresden 01187, Germany
| | - Pushpanathan Muthuirulan
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Stanley J Neufeld
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mai P Tran
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Haydee L Gutierrez
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin D Chen
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joel M Erberich
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amanda Birmingham
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Terence D Capellini
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John Cobb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Michael Hiller
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany; Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nothnitzerstraße 38, Dresden 01187, Germany
| | - Kimberly L Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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20
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Abstract
The vertebral column of individual mammalian species often exhibits remarkable robustness in the number and identity of vertebral elements that form (known as axial formulae). The genetic mechanism(s) underlying this constraint however remain ill-defined. Here, we reveal the interplay of three regulatory pathways (Gdf11, miR-196 and Retinoic acid) is essential in constraining total vertebral number and regional axial identity in the mouse, from cervical through to tail vertebrae. All three pathways have differing control over Hox cluster expression, with heterochronic and quantitative changes found to parallel changes in axial identity. However, our work reveals an additional role for Hox genes in supporting axial elongation within the tail region, providing important support for an emerging view that mammalian Hox function is not limited to imparting positional identity as the mammalian body plan is laid down. More broadly, this work provides a molecular framework to interrogate mechanisms of evolutionary change and congenital anomalies of the vertebral column. Vertebral column length and shape exhibits remarkable robustness within a species but diversity across species. Here the authors reveal the molecular logic constraining vertebral number in mouse and a novel role for posterior Hox genes in this context.
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21
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hox gene expression predicts tetrapod-like axial regionalization in the skate, Leucoraja erinacea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2114563118. [PMID: 34903669 PMCID: PMC8713815 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114563118] [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] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The axial skeleton of tetrapods is organized into distinct anteroposterior regions of the vertebral column (cervical, trunk, sacral, and caudal), and transitions between these regions are determined by colinear anterior expression boundaries of Hox5/6, -9, -10, and -11 paralogy group genes within embryonic paraxial mesoderm. Fishes, conversely, exhibit little in the way of discrete axial regionalization, and this has led to scenarios of an origin of Hox-mediated axial skeletal complexity with the evolutionary transition to land in tetrapods. Here, combining geometric morphometric analysis of vertebral column morphology with cell lineage tracing of hox gene expression boundaries in developing embryos, we recover evidence of at least five distinct regions in the vertebral skeleton of a cartilaginous fish, the little skate (Leucoraja erinacea). We find that skate embryos exhibit tetrapod-like anteroposterior nesting of hox gene expression in their paraxial mesoderm, and we show that anterior expression boundaries of hox5/6, hox9, hox10, and hox11 paralogy group genes predict regional transitions in the differentiated skate axial skeleton. Our findings suggest that hox-based axial skeletal regionalization did not originate with tetrapods but rather has a much deeper evolutionary history than was previously appreciated.
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22
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Introducing dorsoventral patterning in adult regenerating lizard tails with gene-edited embryonic neural stem cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6010. [PMID: 34650077 PMCID: PMC8516916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26321-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Lizards regenerate amputated tails but fail to recapitulate the dorsoventral patterning achieved during embryonic development. Regenerated lizard tails form ependymal tubes (ETs) that, like embryonic tail neural tubes (NTs), induce cartilage differentiation in surrounding cells via sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. However, adult ETs lack characteristically roof plate-associated structures and express Shh throughout their circumferences, resulting in the formation of unpatterned cartilage tubes. Both NTs and ETs contain neural stem cells (NSCs), but only embryonic NSC populations differentiate into roof plate identities when protected from endogenous Hedgehog signaling. NSCs were isolated from parthenogenetic lizard embryos, rendered unresponsive to Hedgehog signaling via CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout of smoothened (Smo), and implanted back into clonally-identical adults to regulate tail regeneration. Here we report that Smo knockout embryonic NSCs oppose cartilage formation when engrafted to adult ETs, representing an important milestone in the creation of regenerated lizard tails with dorsoventrally patterned skeletal tissues. Organisms with regenerative capacity typically regrow organs with correct axial patterning, however, regrown lizard tails lack this feature. Here the authors used neural stem cells to induce patterning in regenerating lizard tails and rescued normal skeletal morphology.
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23
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Diaz-Cuadros M, Pourquié O, El-Sherif E. Patterning with clocks and genetic cascades: Segmentation and regionalization of vertebrate versus insect body plans. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009812. [PMID: 34648490 PMCID: PMC8516289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oscillatory and sequential processes have been implicated in the spatial patterning of many embryonic tissues. For example, molecular clocks delimit segmental boundaries in vertebrates and insects and mediate lateral root formation in plants, whereas sequential gene activities are involved in the specification of regional identities of insect neuroblasts, vertebrate neural tube, vertebrate limb, and insect and vertebrate body axes. These processes take place in various tissues and organisms, and, hence, raise the question of what common themes and strategies they share. In this article, we review 2 processes that rely on the spatial regulation of periodic and sequential gene activities: segmentation and regionalization of the anterior-posterior (AP) axis of animal body plans. We study these processes in species that belong to 2 different phyla: vertebrates and insects. By contrasting 2 different processes (segmentation and regionalization) in species that belong to 2 distantly related phyla (arthropods and vertebrates), we elucidate the deep logic of patterning by oscillatory and sequential gene activities. Furthermore, in some of these organisms (e.g., the fruit fly Drosophila), a mode of AP patterning has evolved that seems not to overtly rely on oscillations or sequential gene activities, providing an opportunity to study the evolution of pattern formation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarete Diaz-Cuadros
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Olivier Pourquié
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ezzat El-Sherif
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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24
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Hofmann R, Lehmann T, Warren DL, Ruf I. The squirrel is in the detail: Anatomy and morphometry of the tail in Sciuromorpha (Rodentia, Mammalia). J Morphol 2021; 282:1659-1682. [PMID: 34549832 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21412] [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: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the caudal vertebrae are certainly among the least studied elements of their skeleton. However, the tail plays an important role in locomotion (e.g., balance, prehensility) and behavior (e.g., signaling). Previous studies largely focused on prehensile tails in Primates and Carnivora, in which certain osteological features were selected and used to define tail regions (proximal, transitional, distal). Interestingly, the distribution pattern of these anatomical characters and the relative proportions of the tail regions were similar in both orders. In order to test if such tail regionalization can be applied to Rodentia, we investigated the caudal vertebrae of 20 Sciuridae and six Gliridae species. Furthermore, we examined relationships between tail anatomy/morphometry and locomotion. The position of selected characters along the tail was recorded and their distribution was compared statistically using Spearman rank correlation. Vertebral body length (VBL) was measured to calculate the proportions of each tail region and to perform procrustes analysis on the shape of relative vertebral body length (rVBL) progressions. Our results show that tail regionalization, as defined for Primates and Carnivora, can be applied to almost all investigated squirrels, regardless of their locomotor category. Moreover, major locomotor categories can be distinguished by rVBL progression and tail region proportions. In particular, the small flying squirrels Glaucomys volans and Hylopetes sagitta show an extremely short transitional region. Likewise, several semifossorial taxa can be distinguished by their short distal region. Moreover, among flying squirrels, Petaurista petaurista shows differences with the small flying squirrels, mirroring previous observations on locomotory adaptations based on their inner ear morphometry. Our results show furthermore that the tail region proportions of P. petaurista, phylogenetically more basal than the small flying squirrels, are similar to those of bauplan-conservative arboreal squirrels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hofmann
- Abteilung Messelforschung und Mammalogie, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Lehmann
- Abteilung Messelforschung und Mammalogie, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dan L Warren
- Senckenberg Biodiversität und Klima Forschungszentrum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Irina Ruf
- Abteilung Messelforschung und Mammalogie, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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25
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Schwaner MJ, Hsieh ST, Braasch I, Bradley S, Campos CB, Collins CE, Donatelli CM, Fish FE, Fitch OE, Flammang BE, Jackson BE, Jusufi A, Mekdara PJ, Patel A, Swalla BJ, Vickaryous M, McGowan CP. Future Tail Tales: A Forward-Looking, Integrative Perspective on Tail Research. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:521-537. [PMID: 33999184 PMCID: PMC8680820 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synopsis Tails are a defining characteristic of chordates and show enormous diversity in function and shape. Although chordate tails share a common evolutionary and genetic-developmental origin, tails are extremely versatile in morphology and function. For example, tails can be short or long, thin or thick, and feathered or spiked, and they can be used for propulsion, communication, or balancing, and they mediate in predator-prey outcomes. Depending on the species of animal the tail is attached to, it can have extraordinarily multi-functional purposes. Despite its morphological diversity and broad functional roles, tails have not received similar scientific attention as, for example, the paired appendages such as legs or fins. This forward-looking review article is a first step toward interdisciplinary scientific synthesis in tail research. We discuss the importance of tail research in relation to five topics: (1) evolution and development, (2) regeneration, (3) functional morphology, (4) sensorimotor control, and (5) computational and physical models. Within each of these areas, we highlight areas of research and combinations of long-standing and new experimental approaches to move the field of tail research forward. To best advance a holistic understanding of tail evolution and function, it is imperative to embrace an interdisciplinary approach, re-integrating traditionally siloed fields around discussions on tail-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Schwaner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - S T Hsieh
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - I Braasch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - S Bradley
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C B Campos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - C E Collins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - C M Donatelli
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - F E Fish
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA
| | - O E Fitch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - B E Flammang
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - B E Jackson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Longwood University, Farmville, VA 23909, USA
| | - A Jusufi
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - P J Mekdara
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - A Patel
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - B J Swalla
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - M Vickaryous
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C P McGowan
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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26
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Yamada K, Maeno A, Araki S, Kikuchi M, Suzuki M, Ishizaka M, Satoh K, Akama K, Kawabe Y, Suzuki K, Kobayashi D, Hamano N, Kawamura A. An atlas of seven zebrafish hox cluster mutants provides insights into sub/neofunctionalization of vertebrate Hox clusters. Development 2021; 148:269044. [PMID: 34096572 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate Hox clusters are comprised of multiple Hox genes that control morphology and developmental timing along multiple body axes. Although results of genetic analyses using Hox-knockout mice have been accumulating, genetic studies in other vertebrates have not been sufficient for functional comparisons of vertebrate Hox genes. In this study, we isolated all of the seven hox cluster loss-of-function alleles in zebrafish using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Comprehensive analysis of the embryonic phenotype and X-ray micro-computed tomography scan analysis of adult fish revealed several species-specific functional contributions of homologous Hox clusters along the appendicular axis, whereas important shared general principles were also confirmed, as exemplified by serial anterior vertebral transformations along the main body axis, observed in fish for the first time. Our results provide insights into discrete sub/neofunctionalization of vertebrate Hox clusters after quadruplication of the ancient Hox cluster. This set of seven complete hox cluster loss-of-function alleles provide a formidable resource for future developmental genetic analysis of the Hox patterning system in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Yamada
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Akiteru Maeno
- Plant Resource Development, Division of Genetic Resource Center, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Soh Araki
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Morimichi Kikuchi
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Masato Suzuki
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Mizuki Ishizaka
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Koumi Satoh
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kagari Akama
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yuki Kawabe
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kenya Suzuki
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Daiki Kobayashi
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Nanami Hamano
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Akinori Kawamura
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo 255, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
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27
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Abstract
Arthropod segmentation and vertebrate somitogenesis are leading fields in the experimental and theoretical interrogation of developmental patterning. However, despite the sophistication of current research, basic conceptual issues remain unresolved. These include: (i) the mechanistic origins of spatial organization within the segment addition zone (SAZ); (ii) the mechanistic origins of segment polarization; (iii) the mechanistic origins of axial variation; and (iv) the evolutionary origins of simultaneous patterning. Here, I explore these problems using coarse-grained models of cross-regulating dynamical processes. In the morphogenetic framework of a row of cells undergoing axial elongation, I simulate interactions between an 'oscillator', a 'switch' and up to three 'timers', successfully reproducing essential patterning behaviours of segmenting systems. By comparing the output of these largely cell-autonomous models to variants that incorporate positional information, I find that scaling relationships, wave patterns and patterning dynamics all depend on whether the SAZ is regulated by temporal or spatial information. I also identify three mechanisms for polarizing oscillator output, all of which functionally implicate the oscillator frequency profile. Finally, I demonstrate significant dynamical and regulatory continuity between sequential and simultaneous modes of segmentation. I discuss these results in the context of the experimental literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Clark
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 210 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Trinity College Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1TQ, UK
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28
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Yang J, Lee JY, Kim KH, Wang KC. Disorders of Secondary Neurulation : Mainly Focused on Pathoembryogenesis. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2021; 64:386-405. [PMID: 33906343 PMCID: PMC8128515 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2021.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in basic research on the process of secondary neurulation and increased clinical experience with caudal spinal anomalies with associated abnormalities in the surrounding and distal structures shed light on further understanding of the pathoembryogenesis of the lesions and led to the new classification of these dysraphic entities. We summarized the changing concepts of lesions developed from the disordered secondary neurulation shown during the last decade. In addition, we suggested our new pathoembryogenetic explanations for a few entities based on the literature and the data from our previous animal research. Disordered secondary neurulation at each phase of development may cause corresponding lesions, such as failed junction with the primary neural tube (junctional neural tube defect and segmental spinal dysgenesis), dysgenesis or duplication of the caudal cell mass associated with disturbed activity of caudal mesenchymal tissue (caudal agenesis and caudal duplication syndrome), failed ingression of the primitive streak to the caudal cell mass (myelomeningocele), focal limited dorsal neuro-cutaneous nondisjunction (limited dorsal myeloschisis and congenital dermal sinus), neuro-mesenchymal adhesion (lumbosacral lipomatous malformation), and regression failure spectrum of the medullary cord (thickened filum and filar cyst, low-lying conus, retained medullary cord, terminal myelocele and terminal myelocystocele). It seems that almost every anomalous entity of the primary neural tube may occur in the area of secondary neurulation. Furthermore, the close association with the activity of caudal mesenchymal tissue in secondary neurulation involves a wider range of surrounding structures than in primary neurulation. Although the majority of the data are from animals, not from humans and many theories are still conjectural, these changing concepts of normal and disordered secondary neurulation will provoke further advancements in our management strategies as well as in the pathoembryogenetic understanding of anomalous lesions in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeyul Yang
- Neuro-oncology Clinic, Center for Rare Cancers, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Ji Yeoun Lee
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Hyun Kim
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyu-Chang Wang
- Neuro-oncology Clinic, Center for Rare Cancers, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
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29
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Tojima S. A Tale of the Tail : A Comprehensive Understanding of the "Human Tail". J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2021; 64:340-345. [PMID: 33896150 PMCID: PMC8128518 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2021.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans do not have tails; however, a congenital anomaly named “human tail” has been recognized since old times. In contrast with its impactful name, the anomaly itself is not fatal, and thus it has not been considered as a clinically serious symptom. However, many case reports suggested that retention of “the tail” is closely associated with spinal cord malformation and should be treated with care by neurosurgeons. Therefore, this review summarizes our knowledge regarding the anatomy, function, and development of the tail as a general structure in mammals. Learning the basic knowledge regarding tail anatomy and development would help clinicians to understand the “human tail” more concisely and to select more appropriate examinations or treatments in relation to this congenital anomaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Tojima
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
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30
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Bockmayr M, Körner M, Schweizer L, Schüller U. Cauda equina paragangliomas express HOXB13. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2021; 47:889-890. [PMID: 33768604 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
HOXB13 is expressed in the tail bud of the developing embryo as well as in cauda equina paragangliomas and in myxopapillary ependymomas. In contrast, pheochromocytomas and paraganglioma in other locations as well as many other tumors occuring in spinal cord regions are negative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bockmayr
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center HaTriCS4, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Meik Körner
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Leonille Schweizer
- Institute for Neuropathology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schüller
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Berlin, Germany
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31
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Wang YM, Khederzadeh S, Li SR, Otecko NO, Irwin DM, Thakur M, Ren XD, Wang MS, Wu DD, Zhang YP. Integrating Genomic and Transcriptomic Data to Reveal Genetic Mechanisms Underlying Piao Chicken Rumpless Trait. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2021; 19:787-799. [PMID: 33631431 PMCID: PMC9170765 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2020.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Piao chicken, a rare Chinese native poultry breed, lacks primary tail structures, such as pygostyle, caudal vertebra, uropygial gland, and tail feathers. So far, the molecular mechanisms underlying tail absence in this breed remain unclear. In this study, we comprehensively employed comparative transcriptomic and genomic analyses to unravel potential genetic underpinnings of rumplessness in Piao chicken. Our results reveal many biological factors involved in tail development and several genomic regions under strong positive selection in this breed. These regions contain candidate genes associated with rumplessness, including Irx4, Il18, Hspb2, and Cryab. Retrieval of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and gene functions implies that rumplessness might be consciously or unconsciously selected along with the high-yield traits in Piao chicken. We hypothesize that strong selection pressures on regulatory elements might lead to changes in gene activity in mesenchymal stem cells of the tail bud. The ectopic activity could eventually result in tail truncation by impeding differentiation and proliferation of the stem cells. Our study provides fundamental insights into early initiation and genetic basis of the rumpless phenotype in Piao chicken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Mei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Center for Neurobiology and Brain Restoration, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 143026, Russia
| | - Saber Khederzadeh
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Shi-Rong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Newton Otieno Otecko
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - David M Irwin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Mukesh Thakur
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata 700053, India
| | - Xiao-Die Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Ming-Shan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
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32
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Rashid DJ, Chapman SC. The long and the short of tails. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:1229-1235. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dana J. Rashid
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology Montana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Susan C. Chapman
- Department of Biological Sciences Clemson University Clemson South Carolina USA
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33
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Wymeersch FJ, Wilson V, Tsakiridis A. Understanding axial progenitor biology in vivo and in vitro. Development 2021; 148:148/4/dev180612. [PMID: 33593754 DOI: 10.1242/dev.180612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The generation of the components that make up the embryonic body axis, such as the spinal cord and vertebral column, takes place in an anterior-to-posterior (head-to-tail) direction. This process is driven by the coordinated production of various cell types from a pool of posteriorly-located axial progenitors. Here, we review the key features of this process and the biology of axial progenitors, including neuromesodermal progenitors, the common precursors of the spinal cord and trunk musculature. We discuss recent developments in the in vitro production of axial progenitors and their potential implications in disease modelling and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip J Wymeersch
- Laboratory for Human Organogenesis, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Valerie Wilson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Anestis Tsakiridis
- Centre for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical Science, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN UK .,Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
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34
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Marra G. An "expressionistic" look at serrated precancerous colorectal lesions. Diagn Pathol 2021; 16:4. [PMID: 33423702 PMCID: PMC7797135 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-020-01064-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Approximately 60% of colorectal cancer (CRC) precursor lesions are the genuinely-dysplastic conventional adenomas (cADNs). The others include hyperplastic polyps (HPs), sessile serrated lesions (SSL), and traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs), subtypes of a class of lesions collectively referred to as “serrated.” Endoscopic and histologic differentiation between cADNs and serrated lesions, and between serrated lesion subtypes can be difficult. Methods We used in situ hybridization to verify the expression patterns in CRC precursors of 21 RNA molecules that appear to be promising differentiation markers on the basis of previous RNA sequencing studies. Results SSLs could be clearly differentiated from cADNs by the expression patterns of 9 of the 12 RNAs tested for this purpose (VSIG1, ANXA10, ACHE, SEMG1, AQP5, LINC00520, ZIC5/2, FOXD1, NKD1). Expression patterns of all 9 in HPs were similar to those in SSLs. Nine putatively HP-specific RNAs were also investigated, but none could be confirmed as such: most (e.g., HOXD13 and HOXB13), proved instead to be markers of the normal mucosa in the distal colon and rectum, where most HPs arise. TSAs displayed mixed staining patterns reflecting the presence of serrated and dysplastic glands in the same lesion. Conclusions Using a robust in situ hybridization protocol, we identified promising tissue-staining markers that, if validated in larger series of lesions, could facilitate more precise histologic classification of CRC precursors and, consequently, more tailored clinical follow-up of their carriers. Our findings should also fuel functional studies on the pathogenic significance of specific gene expression alterations in the initiation and evolution of CRC precursor subtypes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13000-020-01064-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Marra
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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35
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Ye Z, Kimelman D. Hox13 genes are required for mesoderm formation and axis elongation during early zebrafish development. Development 2020; 147:dev.185298. [PMID: 33154036 DOI: 10.1242/dev.185298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The early vertebrate embryo extends from anterior to posterior due to the addition of neural and mesodermal cells from a neuromesodermal progenitor (NMp) population located at the most posterior end of the embryo. In order to produce mesoderm throughout this time, the NMps produce their own niche, which is high in Wnt and low in retinoic acid. Using a loss-of-function approach, we demonstrate here that the two most abundant Hox13 genes in zebrafish have a novel role in providing robustness to the NMp niche by working in concert with the niche-establishing factor Brachyury to allow mesoderm formation. Mutants lacking both hoxa13b and hoxd13a in combination with reduced Brachyury activity have synergistic posterior body defects, in the strongest case producing embryos with severe mesodermal defects that phenocopy brachyury null mutants. Our results provide a new way of understanding the essential role of the Hox13 genes in early vertebrate development.This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Ye
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7350, USA
| | - David Kimelman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7350, USA
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36
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Bulajić M, Srivastava D, Dasen JS, Wichterle H, Mahony S, Mazzoni EO. Differential abilities to engage inaccessible chromatin diversify vertebrate Hox binding patterns. Development 2020; 147:dev194761. [PMID: 33028607 PMCID: PMC7710020 DOI: 10.1242/dev.194761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although Hox genes encode for conserved transcription factors (TFs), they are further divided into anterior, central and posterior groups based on their DNA-binding domain similarity. The posterior Hox group expanded in the deuterostome clade and patterns caudal and distal structures. We aimed to address how similar Hox TFs diverge to induce different positional identities. We studied Hox TF DNA-binding and regulatory activity during an in vitro motor neuron differentiation system that recapitulates embryonic development. We found diversity in the genomic binding profiles of different Hox TFs, even among the posterior group paralogs that share similar DNA-binding domains. These differences in genomic binding were explained by differing abilities to bind to previously inaccessible sites. For example, the posterior group HOXC9 had a greater ability to bind occluded sites than the posterior HOXC10, producing different binding patterns and driving differential gene expression programs. From these results, we propose that the differential abilities of posterior Hox TFs to bind to previously inaccessible chromatin drive patterning diversification.This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Bulajić
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Divyanshi Srivastava
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dasen
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Hydrogen Peroxide Causes Cell Death via Increased Transcription of HOXB13 in Human Lung Epithelial A549 Cells. TOXICS 2020; 8:toxics8040078. [PMID: 32998228 PMCID: PMC7712356 DOI: 10.3390/toxics8040078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Although homeobox protein B13 (HOXB13) is an oncogenic transcription factor, its role in stress response has rarely been examined. We previously reported that knockdown of HOXB13 reduces the cytotoxicity caused by various oxidative stress inducers. Here, we studied the role of HOXB13 in cytotoxicity caused by hydrogen peroxide in human lung epithelial A549 cells. The knockdown of HOXB13 reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity; however, this phenomenon was largely absent in the presence of antioxidants (Trolox or N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)). This suggests that HOXB13 may be involved in the cytotoxicity caused by hydrogen peroxide via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hydrogen peroxide also increased both the mRNA and protein levels of HOXB13. However, these increases were rarely observed in the presence of a transcriptional inhibitor, which suggests that hydrogen peroxide increases protein levels via increased transcription of HOXB13. Furthermore, cell death occurred in A549 cells that highly expressed HOXB13. However, this cell death was mostly inhibited by treatment with antioxidants. Taken together, our findings indicate that HOXB13 may be a novel factor involved in the induction of oxidative stress, which causes cell death via intracellular ROS production.
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Bakshi A, Sipani R, Ghosh N, Joshi R. Sequential activation of Notch and Grainyhead gives apoptotic competence to Abdominal-B expressing larval neuroblasts in Drosophila Central nervous system. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008976. [PMID: 32866141 PMCID: PMC7485976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuitry for mating and reproduction resides within the terminal segments of central nervous system (CNS) which express Hox paralogous group 9–13 (in vertebrates) or Abdominal-B (Abd-B) in Drosophila. Terminal neuroblasts (NBs) in A8-A10 segments of Drosophila larval CNS are subdivided into two groups based on expression of transcription factor Doublesex (Dsx). While the sex specific fate of Dsx-positive NBs is well investigated, the fate of Dsx-negative NBs is not known so far. Our studies with Dsx-negative NBs suggests that these cells, like their abdominal counterparts (in A3-A7 segments) use Hox, Grainyhead (Grh) and Notch to undergo cell death during larval development. This cell death also happens by transcriptionally activating RHG family of apoptotic genes through a common apoptotic enhancer in early to mid L3 stages. However, unlike abdominal NBs (in A3-A7 segments) which use increasing levels of resident Hox factor Abdominal-A (Abd-A) as an apoptosis trigger, Dsx-negative NBs (in A8-A10 segments) keep the levels of resident Hox factor Abd-B constant. These cells instead utilize increasing levels of the temporal transcription factor Grh and a rise in Notch activity to gain apoptotic competence. Biochemical and in vivo analysis suggest that Abdominal-A and Grh binding motifs in the common apoptotic enhancer also function as Abdominal-B and Grh binding motifs and maintains the enhancer activity in A8-A10 NBs. Finally, the deletion of this enhancer by the CRISPR-Cas9 method blocks the apoptosis of Dsx-negative NBs. These results highlight the fact that Hox dependent NB apoptosis in abdominal and terminal regions utilizes common molecular players (Hox, Grh and Notch), but seems to have evolved different molecular strategies to pattern CNS. Two major characteristic features of bilaterian organisms are the head to tail axis and a complex central nervous system. The Hox family of transcription factors, which are expressed segmentally along the head to tail axis, plays a critical role in determining both of these features. One of the ways by which Hox factors do this is by mediating differential programmed cell death of the neural stem cells along the head to tail axis of the developing central nervous system, thereby regulating the numerical diversity of the neurons generated along this axis. Our study with a subpopulation of neural stem cells in the most terminal region of the Drosophila larval central nervous system highlights that region-specific Hox-dependent cell death of neural stem cells in abdominal and terminal regions utilizes common molecular players (Hox, Grh and Notch), but seems to have evolved different molecular strategies to pattern the developing central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif Bakshi
- Laboratory of Drosophila Neural Development, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Inner Ring Road, Uppal, Hyderabad, India
- Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Rashmi Sipani
- Laboratory of Drosophila Neural Development, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Inner Ring Road, Uppal, Hyderabad, India
- Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Neha Ghosh
- Laboratory of Drosophila Neural Development, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Inner Ring Road, Uppal, Hyderabad, India
- Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Rohit Joshi
- Laboratory of Drosophila Neural Development, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Inner Ring Road, Uppal, Hyderabad, India
- * E-mail: ,
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Zhong Y, Herrera-Úbeda C, Garcia-Fernàndez J, Li G, Holland PWH. Mutation of amphioxus Pdx and Cdx demonstrates conserved roles for ParaHox genes in gut, anus and tail patterning. BMC Biol 2020; 18:68. [PMID: 32546156 PMCID: PMC7296684 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00796-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The homeobox genes Pdx and Cdx are widespread across the animal kingdom and part of the small ParaHox gene cluster. Gene expression patterns suggest ancient roles for Pdx and Cdx in patterning the through-gut of bilaterian animals although functional data are available for few lineages. To examine evolutionary conservation of Pdx and Cdx gene functions, we focus on amphioxus, small marine animals that occupy a pivotal position in chordate evolution and in which ParaHox gene clustering was first reported. RESULTS Using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), we engineer frameshift mutations in the Pdx and Cdx genes of the amphioxus Branchiostoma floridae and establish mutant lines. Homozygous Pdx mutants have a defect in amphioxus endoderm, manifest as loss of a midgut region expressing endogenous GFP. The anus fails to open in homozygous Cdx mutants, which also have defects in posterior body extension and epidermal tail fin development. Treatment with an inverse agonist of retinoic acid (RA) signalling partially rescues the axial and tail fin phenotypes indicating they are caused by increased RA signalling. Gene expression analyses and luciferase assays suggest that posterior RA levels are kept low in wild type animals by a likely direct transcriptional regulation of a Cyp26 gene by Cdx. Transcriptome analysis reveals extensive gene expression changes in mutants, with a disproportionate effect of Pdx and Cdx on gut-enriched genes and a colinear-like effect of Cdx on Hox genes. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal that amphioxus Pdx and Cdx have roles in specifying middle and posterior cell fates in the endoderm of the gut, roles that likely date to the origin of Bilateria. This conclusion is consistent with these two ParaHox genes playing a role in the origin of the bilaterian through-gut with a distinct anus, morphological innovations that contributed to ecological change in the Cambrian. In addition, we find that amphioxus Cdx promotes body axis extension through a molecular mechanism conserved with vertebrates. The axial extension role for Cdx dates back at least to the origin of Chordata and may have facilitated the evolution of the post-anal tail and active locomotion in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Carlos Herrera-Úbeda
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.,Department of Genetics, Microbiology & Statistics, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology & Statistics, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
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Brotto DB, Siena ÁDD, de Barros II, Carvalho SDCES, Muys BR, Goedert L, Cardoso C, Plaça JR, Ramão A, Squire JA, Araujo LF, Silva WAD. Contributions of HOX genes to cancer hallmarks: Enrichment pathway analysis and review. Tumour Biol 2020; 42:1010428320918050. [PMID: 32456563 DOI: 10.1177/1010428320918050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox genes function as master regulatory transcription factors during development, and their expression is often altered in cancer. The HOX gene family was initially studied intensively to understand how the expression of each gene was involved in forming axial patterns and shaping the body plan during embryogenesis. More recent investigations have discovered that HOX genes can also play an important role in cancer. The literature has shown that the expression of HOX genes may be increased or decreased in different tumors and that these alterations may differ depending on the specific HOX gene involved and the type of cancer being investigated. New studies are also emerging, showing the critical role of some members of the HOX gene family in tumor progression and variation in clinical response. However, there has been limited systematic evaluation of the various contributions of each member of the HOX gene family in the pathways that drive the common phenotypic changes (or "hallmarks") and that underlie the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells. In this review, we investigate the context of the engagement of HOX gene targets and their downstream pathways in the acquisition of competence of tumor cells to undergo malignant transformation and tumor progression. We also summarize published findings on the involvement of HOX genes in carcinogenesis and use bioinformatics methods to examine how their downstream targets and pathways are involved in each hallmark of the cancer phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Barbosa Brotto
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ádamo Davi Diógenes Siena
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Isabela Ichihara de Barros
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Simone da Costa E Silva Carvalho
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Bruna Rodrigues Muys
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lucas Goedert
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Cibele Cardoso
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jessica Rodrigues Plaça
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Anelisa Ramão
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jeremy Andrew Squire
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Luiza Ferreira Araujo
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Wilson Araújo da Silva
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Center for Integrative System Biology (CISBi), NAP/USP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Center for Medical Genomics, Clinics Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Abstract
Abstract
The origin of birds from their terrestrial antecedents was accompanied by a wholesale transformation of their skeleton as they transitioned from a terrestrial to aerial realm. Part of this dramatic transformation is the reduction of separate vertebral elements into regional fusions to limit axial flexibility. This is partially mirrored within the development of the axial column, with regions of the axial column experiencing increasing morphological modularity and the loss of skeletal elements through vertebral fusions. Using a detailed description of the morphological development of the axial column in the model domestic chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus, we present a map of axial ossification based on discrete characters. Delays in ossification are found to occur in conjunction with the formation of fusions. Our study shows that the pattern and sequence of fusion and ossification during development may reflect the presence of independent modules as subsets within the typical regions of the avian axial column. Interestingly, few of these fusion modules correspond to the initial axial Hox expression patterns, suggesting another patterning mechanism is driving axial fusion regionalization. Additionally, two regions of fusion are discovered in the synsacrum. The anterior region of seven fused synsacrals may correspond to the non-ornithuran pygostylian synsacrum of the same number of vertebrae.
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42
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HOXB13 controls cell state through super-enhancers. Exp Cell Res 2020; 393:112039. [PMID: 32376288 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Expression of the homeodomain transcription factor HOXB13 has been demonstrated in several malignancies but its role in tumorigenesis remains elusive. We observed high levels of HOXB13 in poorly differentiated pediatric tumors including a highly aggressive childhood neoplasm - malignant rhabdoid tumor. In a xenograft model of rhabdoid tumor, knockout of HOXB13 diminished tumor growth while partial knockdown of HOXB13 promoted differentiation of tumor cells into bone. These results suggest that HOXB13 enhances rhabdoid malignancy by interfering with mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Consistent with this hypothesis, overexpression of HOXB13 in mesenchymal progenitor cells inhibited adipogenic, myogenic, and osteogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that HOXB13 binds to super-enhancer regions regulating genes involved in differentiation and tumorigenesis.
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43
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The Nuclear Protein HOXB13 Enhances Methylmercury Toxicity by Inducing Oncostatin M and Promoting Its Binding to TNFR3 in Cultured Cells. Cells 2019; 9:cells9010045. [PMID: 31878059 PMCID: PMC7017003 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeobox protein B13 (HOXB13), a transcription factor, is related to methylmercury toxicity; however, the downstream factors involved in enhancing methylmercury toxicity remain unknown. We performed microarray analysis to search for downstream factors whose expression is induced by methylmercury via HOXB13 in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293), which are useful model cells for analyzing molecular mechanisms. Methylmercury induced the expression of oncostatin M (OSM), a cytokine of the interleukin-6 family, and this was markedly suppressed by HOXB13 knockdown. OSM knockdown also conferred resistance to methylmercury in HEK293 cells, and no added methylmercury resistance was observed when both HOXB13 and OSM were knocked down. Binding of HOXB13 to the OSM gene promoter was increased by methylmercury, indicating the involvement of HOXB13 in the enhancement of its toxicity. Because addition of recombinant OSM to the medium enhanced methylmercury toxicity in OSM-knockdown cells, extracellularly released OSM was believed to enhance methylmercury toxicity via membrane receptors. We discovered tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF) receptor 3 (TNFR3) to be a potential candidate involved in the enhancement of methylmercury toxicity by OSM. This toxicity mechanism was also confirmed in mouse neuronal stem cells. We report, for the first time, that HOXB13 is involved in enhancement of methylmercury toxicity via OSM-expression induction and that the synthesized OSM causes cell death by binding to TNFR3 extracellularly.
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Han J, Yang M, Guo T, Niu C, Liu J, Yue Y, Yuan C, Yang B. Two linked TBXT (brachyury) gene polymorphisms are associated with the tailless phenotype in fat-rumped sheep. Anim Genet 2019; 50:772-777. [PMID: 31475743 PMCID: PMC6899607 DOI: 10.1111/age.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
T‐box transcription factor T (TBXT), encoding the brachyury protein, is an embryonic nuclear transcription factor involved in mesoderm formation and differentiation. Previous studies indicate that TBXT mutations are responsible for the tailless or short‐tailed phenotype of many vertebrates. To verify whether the tailless phenotype in fat‐rumped sheep is associated with TBXT mutations, exon 2 of the TBXT gene for 301 individuals belonging to 13 Chinese and Iranian sheep breeds was directly sequenced. Meanwhile, 380 samples were used to detect the genotypes of the candidate variations by mapping to their reads databases in the Sequence Read Archive repository of GenBank. The results showed that one missense mutation, c.334G>T (GGG>TGG) with a completely linked synonymous variant c.333G>C (CCG>CCC) was found to be associated with the ‘tailless’ characteristic in typical fat‐rumped sheep breeds. The c.334G>T transversion led to the conversion of glycine to tryptophan at the 112th amino acid in the T‐box domain of the brachyury protein. In addition, crossbreeding experiments for long‐tailed and tailless sheep showed that CT/CT allele of nucleotides (nt) 333 and 334, a recessive mutation, would cause sheep tails to be shorter, suggesting that these two linked variants at nucleotides 333 and 334 in TBXT are probably causative mutations responsible for the tailless phenotype in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Han
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China
| | - M Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - T Guo
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - C Niu
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - J Liu
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Y Yue
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.,International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
| | - C Yuan
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - B Yang
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
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45
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Curt JR, Yaghmaeian Salmani B, Thor S. Anterior CNS expansion driven by brain transcription factors. eLife 2019; 8:45274. [PMID: 31271353 PMCID: PMC6634974 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During CNS development, there is prominent expansion of the anterior region, the brain. In Drosophila, anterior CNS expansion emerges from three rostral features: (1) increased progenitor cell generation, (2) extended progenitor cell proliferation, (3) more proliferative daughters. We find that tailless (mouse Nr2E1/Tlx), otp/Rx/hbn (Otp/Arx/Rax) and Doc1/2/3 (Tbx2/3/6) are important for brain progenitor generation. These genes, and earmuff (FezF1/2), are also important for subsequent progenitor and/or daughter cell proliferation in the brain. Brain TF co-misexpression can drive brain-profile proliferation in the nerve cord, and can reprogram developing wing discs into brain neural progenitors. Brain TF expression is promoted by the PRC2 complex, acting to keep the brain free of anti-proliferative and repressive action of Hox homeotic genes. Hence, anterior expansion of the Drosophila CNS is mediated by brain TF driven ‘super-generation’ of progenitors, as well as ‘hyper-proliferation’ of progenitor and daughter cells, promoted by PRC2-mediated repression of Hox activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rodriguez Curt
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | | | - Stefan Thor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Australia
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46
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Abstract
Vertebrate Hox genes are clustered. This organization has a functional relevance, as the transcription of each gene in time and space depends upon its relative position within the gene cluster. Hox clusters display a high organization, and all genes are transcribed from the same DNA strand. Here, we investigate the importance of this uniform transcriptional polarity by engineering alleles where one or several transcription units are inverted, with or without a CTCF site. We observe that inversions are likely detrimental to the proper implementation of this genetic system. We propose that the enhanced organization of Hox clusters in vertebrates evolved in conjunction with the emergence of global gene regulation to optimize a coordinated response of selected subsets of target genes. In many animal species with a bilateral symmetry, Hox genes are clustered either at one or at several genomic loci. This organization has a functional relevance, as the transcriptional control applied to each gene depends upon its relative position within the gene cluster. It was previously noted that vertebrate Hox clusters display a much higher level of genomic organization than their invertebrate counterparts. The former are always more compact than the latter, they are generally devoid of repeats and of interspersed genes, and all genes are transcribed by the same DNA strand, suggesting that particular factors constrained these clusters toward a tighter structure during the evolution of the vertebrate lineage. Here, we investigate the importance of uniform transcriptional orientation by engineering several alleles within the HoxD cluster, such as to invert one or several transcription units, with or without a neighboring CTCF site. We observe that the association between the tight structure of mammalian Hox clusters and their regulation makes inversions likely detrimental to the proper implementation of this complex genetic system. We propose that the consolidation of Hox clusters in vertebrates, including transcriptional polarity, evolved in conjunction with the emergence of global gene regulation via the flanking regulatory landscapes, to optimize a coordinated response of selected subsets of target genes in cis.
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47
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Bahrampour S, Jonsson C, Thor S. Brain expansion promoted by polycomb-mediated anterior enhancement of a neural stem cell proliferation program. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000163. [PMID: 30807568 PMCID: PMC6407790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, genetic programs establish neural stem cells and drive both stem and daughter cell proliferation. However, the prominent anterior expansion of the CNS implies anterior–posterior (A–P) modulation of these programs. In Drosophila, a set of neural stem cell factors acts along the entire A–P axis to establish neural stem cells. Brain expansion results from enhanced stem and daughter cell proliferation, promoted by a Polycomb Group (PcG)->Homeobox (Hox) homeotic network. But how does PcG->Hox modulate neural-stem-cell–factor activity along the A–P axis? We find that the PcG->Hox network creates an A–P expression gradient of neural stem cell factors, thereby driving a gradient of proliferation. PcG mutants can be rescued by misexpression of the neural stem cell factors or by mutation of one single Hox gene. Hence, brain expansion results from anterior enhancement of core neural-stem-cell–factor expression, mediated by PcG repression of brain Hox expression. A study in fruit flies shows that the anterior expansion of the central nervous system, to form the brain, is driven by Polycomb-mediated repression of Hox genes, resulting in anterior enhancement of a neural stem cell program. The central nervous system displays a pronounced anterior expansion that forms the brain. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, this expansion is driven by enhanced anterior cell proliferation. Recent studies reveal that cell proliferation in the brain is promoted by the Polycomb Group Complex, a key epigenetic complex. During development of the central nervous system, the Polycomb Group Complex acts to exclude Hox homeotic gene expression from the brain, thereby rendering the brain a Hox-free zone. Hox genes act in an antiproliferative manner, which explains the hyperproliferation observed in the brain, as well as the gradient of proliferation along the anterior–posterior axis of the central nervous system. Here, we find that Hox genes act by repressing a common neural stem cell proliferation program in more posterior regions, resulting in an anterior–posterior gradient of “stemness.” Hence, elevated anterior proliferation is promoted by the Polycomb Group Complex acting to keep the brain free of negative Hox input, thereby ensuring elevated expression of neural stem cell factors in the brain. Strikingly, mutants of the Polycomb Group Complex can be rescued by mutation of one single Hox gene, demonstrating that the primary role of the Polycomb Group Complex is indeed Hox repression. This study advances our understanding of how neural stem cell programs operate at different axial levels of the central nervous system and may have implications also for stem cell and organoid biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrzad Bahrampour
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Carolin Jonsson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Stefan Thor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
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48
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Aires R, de Lemos L, Nóvoa A, Jurberg AD, Mascrez B, Duboule D, Mallo M. Tail Bud Progenitor Activity Relies on a Network Comprising Gdf11, Lin28, and Hox13 Genes. Dev Cell 2019; 48:383-395.e8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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49
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Robinton DA, Chal J, Lummertz da Rocha E, Han A, Yermalovich AV, Oginuma M, Schlaeger TM, Sousa P, Rodriguez A, Urbach A, Pourquié O, Daley GQ. The Lin28/let-7 Pathway Regulates the Mammalian Caudal Body Axis Elongation Program. Dev Cell 2019; 48:396-405.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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50
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Ahbara A, Bahbahani H, Almathen F, Al Abri M, Agoub MO, Abeba A, Kebede A, Musa HH, Mastrangelo S, Pilla F, Ciani E, Hanotte O, Mwacharo JM. Genome-Wide Variation, Candidate Regions and Genes Associated With Fat Deposition and Tail Morphology in Ethiopian Indigenous Sheep. Front Genet 2019; 9:699. [PMID: 30687385 PMCID: PMC6334744 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in body weight and in the distribution of body fat are associated with feed availability, thermoregulation, and energy reserve. Ethiopia is characterized by distinct agro-ecological and human ethnic farmer diversity of ancient origin, which have impacted on the variation of its indigenous livestock. Here, we investigate autosomal genome-wide profiles of 11 Ethiopian indigenous sheep populations using the Illumina Ovine 50 K SNP BeadChip assay. Sheep from the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, China, and western, northern and southern Africa were included to address globally, the genetic variation and history of Ethiopian populations. Population relationship and structure analysis separated Ethiopian indigenous fat-tail sheep from their North African and Middle Eastern counterparts. It indicates two main genetic backgrounds and supports two distinct genetic histories for African fat-tail sheep. Within Ethiopian sheep, our results show that the short fat-tail sheep do not represent a monophyletic group. Four genetic backgrounds are present in Ethiopian indigenous sheep but at different proportions among the fat-rump and the long fat-tail sheep from western and southern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian fat-rump sheep share a genetic background with Sudanese thin-tail sheep. Genome-wide selection signature analysis identified eight putative candidate regions spanning genes influencing growth traits and fat deposition (NPR2, HINT2, SPAG8, INSR), development of limbs and skeleton, and tail formation (ALX4, HOXB13, BMP4), embryonic development of tendons, bones and cartilages (EYA2, SULF2), regulation of body temperature (TRPM8), body weight and height variation (DIS3L2), control of lipogenesis and intracellular transport of long-chain fatty acids (FABP3), the occurrence and morphology of horns (RXFP2), and response to heat stress (DNAJC18). Our findings suggest that Ethiopian fat-tail sheep represent a uniquely admixed but distinct genepool that presents an important resource for understanding the genetic control of skeletal growth, fat metabolism and associated physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abulgasim Ahbara
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Misurata University, Misurata, Libya
| | - Hussain Bahbahani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait
| | - Faisal Almathen
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Animal Husbandry, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Al Abri
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | | | - Ayelle Abeba
- Debre Berhan Research Centre, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Adebabay Kebede
- Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
- LiveGene, International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hassan Hussein Musa
- Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Salvatore Mastrangelo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Viale delle Scienze, Università Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Pilla
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Elena Ciani
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Biotecnologie e Biofarmaceutica, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro ”, Bari, Italy
| | - Olivier Hanotte
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- LiveGene, International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Joram M. Mwacharo
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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