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Smirnov VM, Robert MP, Condroyer C, Navarro J, Antonio A, Rozet JM, Sahel JA, Perrault I, Audo I, Zeitz C. Association of Missense Variants in VSX2 With a Peculiar Form of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness Affecting All Bipolar Cells. JAMA Ophthalmol 2022; 140:1163-1173. [PMID: 36264558 PMCID: PMC9585472 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.4146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Importance Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an inherited stationary retinal disorder that is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. To date, the genetic association between some cases with CSNB and an unusual complex clinical picture is unclear. Objective To describe an unreported CSNB phenotype and the associated gene defect in 3 patients from 2 unrelated families. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective case series was conducted in 2021 and 2022 at a national referral center for rare ocular diseases. Data for 3 patients from a cohort of 140 genetically unsolved CSNB cases were analyzed clinically and genetically. Exposures Complete ocular examination including full-field electroretinography and multimodal fundus imaging (spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, color, infrared reflectance, and short-wavelength autofluorescence photographs) were performed. The gene defect was identified by exome sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing and co-segregation analysis in 1 family. Screening was performed for genetically unsolved CSNB cases for VSX2 variants by direct Sanger sequencing. Main Outcomes and Measures Ocular and molecular biology findings. Results The series included 3 patients whose clinical investigations occurred at ages in the early 30s, younger than 12 years, and in the mid 40s. They had nystagmus, low stable visual acuity, and myopia from birth and experienced night blindness. Two older patients had bilateral lens luxation and underwent lens extraction. Full-field electroretinography revealed an electronegative Schubert-Bornschein appearance, combining characteristics of incomplete and complete CSNB, affecting the function of rod and cone ON- and OFF-bipolar cells. Exome sequencing and co-segregation analysis in a consanguineous family with 2 affected members identified a homozygous variant in VSX2. Subsequently, screening of the CSNB cohort identified another unrelated patient harboring a distinct VSX2 variant. Conclusions and Relevance This case series revealed a peculiar pan-bipolar cell retinopathy with lens luxation associated with variants in VSX2. Clinicians should be aware of this association and VSX2 added to CSNB diagnostic gene panels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasily M. Smirnov
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Université de Lille, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France
- Exploration de la Vision et Neuro-Ophtalmologie, CHU de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Matthieu P. Robert
- Ophthalmology Department, Hôpital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
- Borelli Centre, UMR 9010, CNRS-SSA-ENS Paris Saclay-Paris University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Julien Navarro
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Aline Antonio
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Rozet
- Laboratory of Genetics in Ophthalmology (LGO), INSERM UMR 1163, Institute of Genetic Diseases, Imagine Institute, and Paris University, Paris, France
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Centre Hospitalier National d’Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Centre de Référence Maladies Rares REFERET and INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Isabelle Perrault
- Laboratory of Genetics in Ophthalmology (LGO), INSERM UMR 1163, Institute of Genetic Diseases, Imagine Institute, and Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Audo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Centre Hospitalier National d’Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Centre de Référence Maladies Rares REFERET and INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France
| | - Christina Zeitz
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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Yamagata M, Yan W, Sanes JR. A cell atlas of the chick retina based on single-cell transcriptomics. eLife 2021; 10:e63907. [PMID: 33393903 PMCID: PMC7837701 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal structure and function have been studied in many vertebrate orders, but molecular characterization has been largely confined to mammals. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to generate a cell atlas of the chick retina. We identified 136 cell types plus 14 positional or developmental intermediates distributed among the six classes conserved across vertebrates - photoreceptor, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, retinal ganglion, and glial cells. To assess morphology of molecularly defined types, we adapted a method for CRISPR-based integration of reporters into selectively expressed genes. For Müller glia, we found that transcriptionally distinct cells were regionally localized along the anterior-posterior, dorsal-ventral, and central-peripheral retinal axes. We also identified immature photoreceptor, horizontal cell, and oligodendrocyte types that persist into late embryonic stages. Finally, we analyzed relationships among chick, mouse, and primate retinal cell classes and types. Our results provide a foundation for anatomical, physiological, evolutionary, and developmental studies of the avian visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Yamagata
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Wenjun Yan
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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Zygotic Vsx1 Plays a Key Role in Defining V2a Interneuron Sub-Lineage by Directly Repressing tal1 Transcription in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103600. [PMID: 32443726 PMCID: PMC7279403 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In the spinal cord, excitatory V2a and inhibitory V2b interneurons are produced together by the final division of common P2 progenitors. During V2a and V2b diversification, Tal1 is necessary and sufficient to promote V2b differentiation and Vsx2 suppresses the expression of motor neuron genes to consolidate V2a interneuron identity. The expression program of Tal1 is triggered by a Foxn4-driven regulatory network in the common P2 progenitors. Why the expression of Tal1 is inhibited in V2a interneurons at the onset of V2a and V2b sub-lineage diversification remains unclear. Since transcription repressor Vsx1 is expressed in the P2 progenitors and newborn V2a cells in zebrafish, we investigated the role of Vsx1 in V2a fate specification during V2a and V2b interneuron diversification in this species by loss and gain-of-function experiments. In vsx1 knockdown embryos or knockout Go chimeric embryos, tal1 was ectopically expressed in the presumptive V2a cells, while the generation of V2a interneurons was significantly suppressed. By contrast, in vsx1 overexpression embryos, normal expression of tal1 in the presumptive V2b cells was suppressed, while the generation of V2a interneuron was expanded. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays in combination with core consensus sequence mutation analysis further revealed that Vsx1 can directly bind to tal1 promoter and repress tal1 transcription. These results indicate that Vsx1 can directly repress tal1 transcription and plays an essential role in defining V2a interneuron sub-lineage during V2a and V2b sub-lineage diversification in zebrafish.
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Jiang D, Burger CA, Casasent A, Albrecht NE, Li F, Samuel MA. Spatiotemporal gene expression patterns reveal molecular relatedness between retinal laminae. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:729-755. [PMID: 31609468 PMCID: PMC7147688 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In several areas of the central nervous system, neurons are regionally organized into groups or layers that carry out specific activities. In this form of patterning, neurons of distinct types localize their cell bodies to just one or a few of the layers within a structure. However, little is known about whether diverse neuron types within a lamina share molecular features that coordinate their organization. To begin to identify such candidates, we used the laminated murine retina to screen 92 lacZ reporter lines available through the Knockout Mouse Project. Thirty-two of these displayed reporter expression in restricted subsets of inner retina neurons. We then identified the spatiotemporal expression patterns of these genes at key developmental stages. This uncovered several that were heavily enriched in development but reduced in adulthood, including the transcriptional regulator Hmga1. An additional set of genes displayed maturation associated laminar enrichment. Among these, we identified Bbox1 as a novel gene that specifically labels all neurons in the ganglion cell layer but is largely excluded from otherwise molecularly similar neurons in the inner retina. Finally, we established Dbn1 as a new marker enriched in amacrines and Fmnl3 as a marker for subsets of αRGCs. Together, these data provide a spatiotemporal map for laminae-specific molecules and suggest that diverse neuron types within a lamina share coordinating molecular features that may inform their fate or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danye Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Courtney A. Burger
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Anna Casasent
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Nicholas E. Albrecht
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Fenge Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Melanie A. Samuel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
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Sghari S, Gunhaga L. Temporal Requirement of Mab21l2 During Eye Development in Chick Reveals Stage-Dependent Functions for Retinogenesis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:3869-3878. [PMID: 30073347 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-24236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Different missense mutations in the single exon gene Mab21l2 have been identified in unrelated families with various bilateral eye malformations, including microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma, but the molecular function of Mab21l2 during eye development still remains largely unknown. Methods We have established an in vivo Mab21l2-deficient eye development model in chick, by using a Mab21l2 RNA interference construct that we electroporated in ovo in prospective retinal cells. In addition, we designed a Mab21l2 gain-of-function electroporation vector. Mab21l2-modulated retinas were analyzed on consecutive sections in terms of morphology, and molecular markers for apoptosis, cell proliferation, and retinogenesis. Results Our Mab21l2-deficient chick model mimics human ocular phenotypes. When Mab21l2 is downregulated prior to optic vesicle formation, the embryos develop anophthalmia, and Mab21l2 inhibition by optic cup stages results in a microphthalmic colobomatous phenotype. Our results show that inhibition of Mab21l2 affects cell proliferation, cell cycle exit, and the expression of Atoh7/Ath5, NeuroD4/Ath3, Isl1, Pax6, AP-2α, and Prox1. In addition, Mab21l2 overexpression hampers cell cycle exit and differentiation of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs). Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of a regulated temporal expression of Mab21l2 during eye development: At early stages, Mab21l2 is required to maintain RPC proliferation and expansion of cell number; before retinogenesis, a decrease in Mab21l2 expression in proliferating RPCs is required for cell cycle exit and differentiation; during retinogenesis, Mab21l2 is chronologically upregulated in RGCs, followed by differentiated horizontal and amacrine cells and cone photoreceptor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soufien Sghari
- Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lena Gunhaga
- Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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6
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Sreekanth S, Rasheed VA, Soundararajan L, Antony J, Saikia M, Sivakumar KC, Das AV. miR Cluster 143/145 Directly Targets Nrl and Regulates Rod Photoreceptor Development. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 54:8033-8049. [PMID: 27878762 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0237-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Retinal histogenesis requires coordinated and temporal functioning of factors by which different cell types are generated from multipotent progenitors. Development of rod photoreceptors is regulated by multiple transcription factors, and Nrl is one of the major factors involved in their fate specification. Presence or absence of Nrl at the postnatal stages decides the generation of cone photoreceptors or other later retinal cells. This suggests the need for regulated expression of Nrl in order to accelerate the generation of other cell types during retinal development. We found that miR cluster 143/145, comprising miR-143 and miR-145, targets and imparts a posttranscriptional inhibition of Nrl. Expression of both miRNAs was differentially regulated during retinal development and showed least expression at PN1 stage in which most of the rod photoreceptors are generated. Downregulation of rod photoreceptor regulators and markers upon miR cluster 143/145 overexpression demonstrated that this cluster indeed negatively regulates rod photoreceptors. Further, we prove that Nrl positively regulates miR cluster 143/145, thus establishing a feedback loop regulatory mechanism. This may be one possible mechanism by which Nrl is posttranscriptionally regulated to facilitate the generation of other cell types in retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreekumaran Sreekanth
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Vazhanthodi A Rasheed
- Neuro Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Lalitha Soundararajan
- Neuro Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Jayesh Antony
- Cancer Research Program-2, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Minakshi Saikia
- Cancer Research Program-2, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India
| | | | - Ani V Das
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India.
- Cancer Research Program-9, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala, India.
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Andreichenko IN, Zinov’eva RD. Expression of Vsx transcription factors in the morphogenesis of retina in the chicken Gallus domesticus. BIOL BULL+ 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359017020029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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8
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Francius C, Hidalgo-Figueroa M, Debrulle S, Pelosi B, Rucchin V, Ronellenfitch K, Panayiotou E, Makrides N, Misra K, Harris A, Hassani H, Schakman O, Parras C, Xiang M, Malas S, Chow RL, Clotman F. Vsx1 Transiently Defines an Early Intermediate V2 Interneuron Precursor Compartment in the Mouse Developing Spinal Cord. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:145. [PMID: 28082864 PMCID: PMC5183629 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal ventral interneurons regulate the activity of motor neurons, thereby controlling motor activities. Interneurons arise during embryonic development from distinct progenitor domains distributed orderly along the dorso-ventral axis of the neural tube. A single ventral progenitor population named p2 generates at least five V2 interneuron subsets. Whether the diversification of V2 precursors into multiple subsets occurs within the p2 progenitor domain or involves a later compartment of early-born V2 interneurons remains unsolved. Here, we provide evidence that the p2 domain produces an intermediate V2 precursor compartment characterized by the transient expression of the transcriptional repressor Vsx1. These cells display an original repertoire of cellular markers distinct from that of any V2 interneuron population. They have exited the cell cycle but have not initiated neuronal differentiation. They coexpress Vsx1 and Foxn4, suggesting that they can generate the known V2 interneuron populations as well as possible additional V2 subsets. Unlike V2 interneurons, the generation of Vsx1-positive precursors does not depend on the Notch signaling pathway but expression of Vsx1 in these cells requires Pax6. Hence, the p2 progenitor domain generates an intermediate V2 precursor compartment, characterized by the presence of the transcriptional repressor Vsx1, that contributes to V2 interneuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Francius
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - María Hidalgo-Figueroa
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Stéphanie Debrulle
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Barbara Pelosi
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Rucchin
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Kamana Misra
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Audrey Harris
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Hessameh Hassani
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM)Paris, France
| | - Olivier Schakman
- Laboratory of Cell Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Carlos Parras
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM)Paris, France
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscataway, NJ, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Stavros Malas
- The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and GeneticsNicosia, Cyprus
| | - Robert L. Chow
- Department of Biology, University of VictoriaVictoria, BC, Canada
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
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Expression of Quaking RNA-Binding Protein in the Adult and Developing Mouse Retina. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156033. [PMID: 27196066 PMCID: PMC4873024 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Quaking (QKI), which belongs to the STAR family of KH domain-containing RNA-binding proteins, functions in pre-mRNA splicing, microRNA regulation, and formation of circular RNA. QKI plays critical roles in myelinogenesis in the central and peripheral nervous systems and has been implicated neuron-glia fate decision in the brain; however, neither the expression nor function of QKI in the neural retina is known. Here we report the expression of QKI RNA-binding protein in the developing and mature mouse retina. QKI was strongly expressed by Müller glial cells in both the developing and adult retina. Intriguingly, during development, QKI was expressed in early differentiating neurons, such as the horizontal and amacrine cells, and subsequently in later differentiating bipolar cells, but not in photoreceptors. Neuronal expression was uniformly weak in the adult. Among QKI isoforms (5, 6, and 7), QKI-5 was the predominantly expressed isoform in the adult retina. To study the function of QKI in the mouse retina, we examined quakingviable(qkv) mice, which have a dysmyelination phenotype that results from deficiency of QKI expression and reduced numbers of mature oligodendrocytes. In homozygous qkv mutant mice (qkv/qkv), the optic nerve expression levels of QKI-6 and 7, but not QKI-5 were reduced. In the retina of the mutant homozygote, QKI-5 levels were unchanged, and QKI-6 and 7 levels, already low, were also unaffected. We conclude that QKI is expressed in developing and adult Müller glia. QKI is additionally expressed in progenitors and in differentiating neurons during retinal development, but expression weakened or diminished during maturation. Among QKI isoforms, we found that QKI-5 predominated in the adult mouse retina. Since Müller glial cells are thought to share properties with retinal progenitor cells, our data suggest that QKI may contribute to maintaining retinal progenitors prior to differentiation into neurons. On the other hand, the expression of QKI in different retinal neurons may suggest a role in neuronal cell type specific fate determination and maturation. The data raises the possibility that QKI may function in retinal cell fate determination and maturation in both glia and neurons.
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Transitional Progenitors during Vertebrate Retinogenesis. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:3565-3576. [PMID: 27194297 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-9899-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The retina is a delicate neural tissue responsible for light signal capturing, modulating, and passing to mid-brain. The brain then translated the signals into three-dimensional vision. The mature retina is composed of more than 50 subtypes of cells, all of which are developed from a pool of early multipotent retinal progenitors, which pass through sequential statuses of oligopotent, bipotent, and unipotent progenitors, and finally become terminally differentiated retinal cells. A transitional progenitor model is proposed here to describe how intrinsic developmental programs, along with environmental cues, control the step-by-step differentiation during retinogenesis. The model could elegantly explain many current findings as well as predict roles of intrinsic factors during retinal development.
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Wang Z, Yasugi S, Ishii Y. Chx10 functions as a regulator of molecular pathways controlling the regional identity in the primordial retina. Dev Biol 2016; 413:104-11. [PMID: 27001188 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The light-sensitive neural retina (NR) and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) develop from a common primordium, the optic vesicle, raising the question of how they acquire and maintain distinct identities. Here, we demonstrate that sustained misexpression of the Chx10 homeobox gene in the presumptive RPE in chick suppresses accumulation of melanin pigments and promotes ectopic NR-like neural differentiation. This phenotypic change involved ectopic expression of NR transcription factor genes, Sox2, Six3, Rx1 and Optx2, which, when misexpressed, counteracted RPE development without upregulating Chx10. These results suggest that Chx10 can function as a cell autonomous regulator of the regional identity in the primordial retina, presumably through a downstream transcriptional cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Wang
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Sadao Yasugi
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Yasuo Ishii
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan.
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12
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Jin K, Xiao D, Andersen B, Xiang M. Lmo4 and Other LIM domain only factors are necessary and sufficient for multiple retinal cell type development. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:900-15. [PMID: 26579872 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular basis by which distinct cell types are specified is a central issue in retinogenesis and retinal disease development. Here we examined the role of LIM domain only 4 (Lmo4) in retinal development using both gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches. By immunostaining, Lmo4 was found to be expressed in mouse retina from E10.5 to mature stages. Retroviral delivery of Lmo4 into retinal progenitor cells could promote the amacrine, bipolar and Müller cell fates at the expense of photoreceptors. It also inhibited the fate of early-born retinal ganglion cells. Using a dominant-negative form of Lmo4 which suppresses transcriptional activities of all LIM domain only factors, we demonstrated that LIM domain only factors are both necessary and sufficient for promoting amacrine and bipolar cell development, but not for the differentiation of ganglion, horizontal, Müller, or photoreceptor cells. Taken together, our study uncovers multiple roles of Lmo4 during retinal development and demonstrates the importance of LIM domain only factors in ensuring proper retinal cell specification and differentiation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 900-915, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangxin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China.,Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854
| | - Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China
| | - Bogi Andersen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-4030.,Department of Biological Chemistry, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-4030
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China.,Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854
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13
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Tan RR, Zhang SJ, Li YF, Tsoi B, Huang WS, Yao N, Hong M, Zhai YJ, Mao ZF, Tang LP, Kurihara H, Wang Q, He RR. Proanthocyanidins Prevent High Glucose-Induced Eye Malformation by Restoring Pax6 Expression in Chick Embryo. Nutrients 2015; 7:6567-81. [PMID: 26262640 PMCID: PMC4555138 DOI: 10.3390/nu7085299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the leading causes of offspring malformations, in which eye malformation is an important disease. It has raised demand for therapy to improve fetal outcomes. In this study, we used chick embryo to establish a GDM model to study the protective effects of proanthocyanidins on eye development. Chick embryos were exposed to high glucose (0.2 mmol/egg) on embryo development day (EDD) 1. Proanthocyanidins (1 and 10 nmol/egg) were injected into the air sac on EDD 0. Results showed that both dosages of proanthocyanidins could prevent the eye malformation and rescue the high glucose-induced oxidative stress significantly, which the similar effects were showed in edaravone. However, proanthocyanidins could not decrease the glucose concentration of embryo eye. Moreover, the key genes regulating eye development, Pax6, was down-regulated by high glucose. Proanthocyanidins could restore the suppressed expression of Pax6. These results indicated proanthocyanidins might be a promising natural agent to prevent high glucose-induced eye malformation by restoring Pax6 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Rong Tan
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Shi-Jie Zhang
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Yi-Fang Li
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Bun Tsoi
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Wen-Shan Huang
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Nan Yao
- Guangdong Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Manufacturing Technology, Guangzhou 510095, Guangdong, China.
| | - Mo Hong
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Yu-Jia Zhai
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Zhong-Fu Mao
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Lu-Ping Tang
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Hiroshi Kurihara
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Rong-Rong He
- Anti-stress and Health Center, Pharmacy College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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14
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Zhang Z, Elsayed AK, Shi Q, Zhang Y, Zuo Q, Li D, Lian C, Tang B, Xiao T, Xu Q, Chang G, Chen G, Zhang L, Wang K, Wang Y, Jin K, Wang Y, Song J, Cui H, Li B. Crucial genes and pathways in chicken germ stem cell differentiation. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:13605-21. [PMID: 25847247 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.601401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Male germ cell differentiation is a subtle and complex regulatory process. Currently, its regulatory mechanism is still not fully understood. In our experiment, we performed the first comprehensive genome and transcriptome-wide analyses of the crucial genes and signaling pathways in three kinds of crucial cells (embryonic stem cells, primordial germ cell, and spermatogonial stem cells) that are associated with the male germ cell differentiation. We identified thousands of differentially expressed genes in this process, and from these we chose 173 candidate genes, of which 98 genes were involved in cell differentiation, 19 were involved in the metabolic process, and 56 were involved in the differentiation and metabolic processes, like GAL9, AMH, PLK1, and PSMD7 and so on. In addition, we found that 18 key signaling pathways were involved mainly in cell proliferation, differentiation, and signal transduction processes like TGF-β, Notch, and Jak-STAT. Further exploration found that the candidate gene expression patterns were the same between in vitro induction experiments and transcriptome results. Our results yield clues to the mechanistic basis of male germ cell differentiation and provide an important reference for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhentao Zhang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Ahmed Kamel Elsayed
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China, the Anatomy and Embryology Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Qingqing Shi
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Yani Zhang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China,
| | - Qisheng Zuo
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Dong Li
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Chao Lian
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Beibei Tang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Tianrong Xiao
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Qi Xu
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Guobin Chang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Guohong Chen
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Kehua Wang
- the Poultry Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Yingjie Wang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Kai Jin
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Yilin Wang
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Jiuzhou Song
- the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, and
| | - Hengmi Cui
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China
| | - Bichun Li
- From the College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, China,
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15
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Fujita T, Kitaura F, Fujii H. A critical role of the Thy28-MYH9 axis in B cell-specific expression of the Pax5 gene in chicken B cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116579. [PMID: 25607658 PMCID: PMC4301804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that Pax5 plays essential roles in B cell lineage commitment. However, molecular mechanisms of B cell-specific expression of Pax5 are not fully understood. Here, we applied insertional chromatin immunoprecipitation (iChIP) combined with stable isotope labeling using amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) (iChIP-SILAC) to direct identification of proteins interacting with the promoter region of the endogenous single-copy chicken Pax5 gene. By comparing B cells with macrophage-like cells trans-differentiated by ectopic expression of C/EBPβ, iChIP-SILAC detected B cell-specific interaction of a nuclear protein, Thy28/Thyn1, with the Pax5 1A promoter. Trans-differentiation of B cells into macrophage-like cells caused down-regulation of Thy28 expression. Loss-of-function of Thy28 induced decrease in Pax5 expression and recruitment of myosin-9 (MYH9), one of Thy28-interacting proteins, to the Pax5 1A promoter. Loss-of-function of MYH9 also induced decrease in Pax5 expression. Thus, our analysis revealed that Thy28 is functionally required for B cell-specific expression of Pax5 via recruitment of MYH9 to the Pax5 locus in chicken B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshitsugu Fujita
- Chromatin Biochemistry Research Group, Combined Program on Microbiology and Immunology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Fusako Kitaura
- Chromatin Biochemistry Research Group, Combined Program on Microbiology and Immunology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hodaka Fujii
- Chromatin Biochemistry Research Group, Combined Program on Microbiology and Immunology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- * E-mail:
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16
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Xu X, He Y, Sun L, Ma S, Luo C. Maternal Vsx1 plays an essential role in regulating prechordal mesendoderm and forebrain formation in zebrafish. Dev Biol 2014; 394:264-76. [PMID: 25150888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2014] [Revised: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prechordal mesendoderm (PME) is a derivative of gastrula organizer underlying the anterior neural plate of vertebrate embryos. It has been firmly established that PME is critical for head induction and anterior-posterior patterning. Therefore, the establishment of PME in a desired shape and size at a correct position during early embryogenesis is crucial for normal head patterning. However, it remains largely unclear how the desired form and size of PME is generated at a predestined position during early embryogenesis. Here we show that in zebrafish a maternal transcription repressor Vsx1 is essential for this early developmental regulation. Knocking down maternal vsx1 resulted in impaired PME formation and progression associated with a deficient and posteriorized forebrain. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments showed that maternal Vsx1 is essential for repressing ntl ectopic expression in more animal region at early gastrula stages. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay in combination with core consensus sequence mutation analysis further revealed that maternal Vsx1 can directly repress ntl transcription by binding to the proximal promoter at a specific site. Simultaneous inhibition of ntl function could successfully suppress the defects of both PME and forebrain formation in maternal Vsx1 knockdown embryos. Our results reveal a pivotal role for maternal Vsx1 as a direct transcriptional repressor of ntl expression at the margin of the zebrafish gastrula to ensure directional cell polarization and migration of PME cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying He
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shanshan Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China; School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Chen Luo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China.
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17
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Abstract
Corneal wound healing is a complex process: its mechanisms and the underlying genetic control are not fully understood. It involves the integrated actions of multiple growth factors, cytokines and proteases produced by epithelial cells, stromal keratocytes, inflammatory cells and lacrimal gland cells. Following an epithelial insult, multiple cytokines are released triggering a cascade of events that leads to repair the epithelial defect and remodelling of the stroma to minimize the loss of transparency and function. In this review, we examine the literature surrounding the genomics of corneal wound healing with respect to the following topics: epithelial and stromal wound healing (including inhibition); corneal neovascularisation; the role of corneal nerves in wound healing; the endothelium; the role of aquaporins and aptamers. We also examine the effect of ectasia on corneal wound healing with regard to keratoconus and following corneal surgery. A better understanding of the cellular and molecular changes that occur during repair of corneal wounds will provide the opportunity to design treatments that selectively modulate key phases of the healing process resulting in scars that more closely resemble normal corneal architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick J R Maycock
- Eye Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UKNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
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18
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Expression of LIM-homeodomain transcription factors in the developing and mature mouse retina. Gene Expr Patterns 2013; 14:1-8. [PMID: 24333658 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
LIM-homeodomain (LIM-HD) transcription factors have been extensively studied for their role in the development of the central nervous system. Their function is key to several developmental events like cell proliferation, differentiation and subtype specification. However, their roles in retinal neurogenesis remain largely unknown. Here we report a detailed expression study of LIM-HD transcription factors LHX9 and LHX2, LHX3 and LHX4, and LHX6 in the developing and mature mouse retina using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques. We show that LHX9 is expressed during the early stages of development in the retinal ganglion cell layer and the inner nuclear layer. We also show that LHX9 is expressed in a subset of amacrine cells in the adult retina. LHX2 is known to be expressed in retinal progenitor cells during development and in Müller glial cells and a subset of amacrine cells in the adult retina. We found that the LHX2 subset of amacrine cells is not cholinergic and that a very few of LHX2 amacrine cells express calretinin. LHX3 and LHX4 are expressed in a subset of bipolar cells in the adult retina. LHX6 is expressed in cells in the ganglion cell layer and the neuroblast layer starting at embryonic stage 13.5 (E13.5) and continues to be expressed in cells in the ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer, postnatally, suggesting its likely expression in amacrine cells or a subset thereof. Taken together, our comprehensive assay of expression patterns of LIM-HD transcription factors during mouse retinal development will help further studies elucidating their biological functions in the differentiation of retinal cell subtypes.
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19
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Reprogramming of adult rod photoreceptors prevents retinal degeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:1732-7. [PMID: 23319618 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1214387110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A prime goal of regenerative medicine is to direct cell fates in a therapeutically useful manner. Retinitis pigmentosa is one of the most common degenerative diseases of the eye and is associated with early rod photoreceptor death followed by secondary cone degeneration. We hypothesized that converting adult rods into cones, via knockdown of the rod photoreceptor determinant Nrl, could make the cells resistant to the effects of mutations in rod-specific genes, thereby preventing secondary cone loss. To test this idea, we engineered a tamoxifen-inducible allele of Nrl to acutely inactivate the gene in adult rods. This manipulation resulted in reprogramming of rods into cells with a variety of cone-like molecular, histologic, and functional properties. Moreover, reprogramming of adult rods achieved cellular and functional rescue of retinal degeneration in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. These findings suggest that elimination of Nrl in adult rods may represent a unique therapy for retinal degeneration.
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20
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Jo HS, Kang KH, Joe CO, Kim JW. Pten coordinates retinal neurogenesis by regulating Notch signalling. EMBO J 2011; 31:817-28. [PMID: 22258620 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of nervous tissue is a coordinated process of neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Intracellular signalling events that regulate the balance between NPC proliferation and neuronal differentiation, therefore, determine the size and composition of nervous tissues. Here, we demonstrate that negative regulation of phosphoinosite 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signalling by phosphatase tensin homologue (Pten) is essential for maintaining NPC population in mouse retina. We found that mouse retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) lacking the Pten gene complete neurogenesis earlier than their normal developmental schedule, resulting in their premature depletion in the mature retina. We further discover that Notch intracellular domain (NICD) fails to form transcription activator complex in Pten-deficient RPCs, and thereby unable to support RPC maintenance. Taken together, our results suggest that Pten plays a pivotal role in retinal neurogenesis by supporting Notch-driven RPC maintenance against neurogenic PI3K-Akt signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Seok Jo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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21
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Montana CL, Lawrence KA, Williams NL, Tran NM, Peng GH, Chen S, Corbo JC. Transcriptional regulation of neural retina leucine zipper (Nrl), a photoreceptor cell fate determinant. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:36921-31. [PMID: 21865162 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.279026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor neural retina leucine zipper (Nrl) is a critical determinant of rod photoreceptor cell fate and a key regulator of rod differentiation. Nrl(-/-) rod precursors fail to turn on rod genes and instead differentiate as cones. Furthermore, NRL mutations in humans cause retinitis pigmentosa. Despite the developmental and clinical significance of this gene, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of Nrl itself. In this study, we sought to define the cis- and trans-acting factors responsible for initiation and maintenance of Nrl transcription in the mouse retina. Utilizing a quantitative mouse retinal explant electroporation assay, we discovered a phylogenetically conserved, 30-base pair region immediately upstream of the transcription start site that is required for Nrl promoter activity. This region contains binding sites for the retinal transcription factors CRX, OTX2, and RORβ, and point mutations in these sites completely abolish promoter activity in living retinas. Gel-shift experiments show that CRX, OTX2, and RORβ can bind to the critical region in vitro, whereas ChIP experiments demonstrate binding of CRX and OTX2 to the critical region in vivo. Thus, our results indicate that CRX, OTX2, and RORβ directly regulate Nrl transcription by binding to critical sites within the Nrl promoter. We propose a model in which Nrl expression is primarily initiated by OTX2 and RORβ and later maintained at high levels by CRX and RORβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Montana
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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22
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Abstract
Approximately 98% of mammalian DNA is noncoding, yet we understand relatively little about the function of this enigmatic portion of the genome. The cis-regulatory elements that control gene expression reside in noncoding regions and can be identified by mapping the binding sites of tissue-specific transcription factors. Cone-rod homeobox (CRX) is a key transcription factor in photoreceptor differentiation and survival, but its in vivo targets are largely unknown. Here, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) on CRX to identify thousands of cis-regulatory regions around photoreceptor genes in adult mouse retina. CRX directly regulates downstream photoreceptor transcription factors and their target genes via a network of spatially distributed regulatory elements around each locus. CRX-bound regions act in a synergistic fashion to activate transcription and contain multiple CRX binding sites which interact in a spacing- and orientation-dependent manner to fine-tune transcript levels. CRX ChIP-seq was also performed on Nrl(-/-) retinas, which represent an enriched source of cone photoreceptors. Comparison with the wild-type ChIP-seq data set identified numerous rod- and cone-specific CRX-bound regions as well as many shared elements. Thus, CRX combinatorially orchestrates the transcriptional networks of both rods and cones by coordinating the expression of photoreceptor genes including most retinal disease genes. In addition, this study pinpoints thousands of noncoding regions of relevance to both Mendelian and complex retinal disease.
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23
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Zhang Q, Zheng K, Ma S, Tong Y, Luo C. Goldfish β-catenin cell-autonomously inhibits the expression of early neural development regulating gene vsx1. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-009-0714-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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24
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vsx1 3′ untranlated region-mediated translation difference at differentdevelopmental stages of goldfish embryos. J Genet Genomics 2009; 36:483-90. [DOI: 10.1016/s1673-8527(08)60138-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2008] [Revised: 03/19/2009] [Accepted: 03/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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25
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Fujimura N, Taketo MM, Mori M, Korinek V, Kozmik Z. Spatial and temporal regulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is essential for development of the retinal pigment epithelium. Dev Biol 2009; 334:31-45. [PMID: 19596317 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2009] [Revised: 06/30/2009] [Accepted: 07/01/2009] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is highly active in the dorsal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) during eye development. To study the role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in the RPE development we used a conditional Cre/loxP system in mice to inactivate or ectopically activate Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in the RPE. Inactivation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling results in transdifferentiation of RPE to neural retina (NR) as documented by downregulation of RPE-specific markers Mitf and Otx2 and ectopic expression of NR-specific markers Chx10 and Rx, respectively. In contrast, ectopic activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling results in the disruption of the RPE patterning, indicating that precise spatial and temporal regulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is required for normal RPE development. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and reporter gene assays we provide evidence that Otx2 and RPE-specific isoform of Mitf, Mitf-H, are direct transcriptional targets of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Combined, our data suggest that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling plays an essential role in development of RPE by maintaining or inducing expression of Mitf and Otx2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoko Fujimura
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
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26
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Limb GA, Daniels JT, Cambrey AD, Secker GA, Shortt AJ, Lawrence JM, Khaw PT. Current Prospects for Adult Stem Cell–Based Therapies in Ocular Repair and Regeneration. Curr Eye Res 2009; 31:381-90. [PMID: 16714229 DOI: 10.1080/02713680600681210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in stem cell biology have led to the exploration of stem cell-based therapies to treat a wide range of human diseases. In the ophthalmic field, much hope has been placed on the potential use of these cells to restore sight, particularly in those conditions in which other established treatments have failed and in which visual function has been irreversibly damaged by disease or injury. At present, there are many limitations for the immediate use of embryonic stem cells to treat ocular disease, and as more evidence emerges that adult stem cells are present in the adult human eye, it is clear that these cells may have advantages to develop into feasible therapeutic treatments without the problems associated with embryonic research and immune rejection. Here we discuss the current prospects for the application of various adult ocular stem cells to human therapies for restoration of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Limb
- Ocular Repair and Regeneration Biology Unit, Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital, 11 Bath Street, London, UK.
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27
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Ishii Y, Weinberg K, Oda-Ishii I, Coughlin L, Mikawa T. Morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation of the avian retinal pigmented epithelium require downregulation of Group B1 Sox genes. Development 2009; 136:2579-89. [PMID: 19570849 DOI: 10.1242/dev.031344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The optic vesicle is a multipotential primordium of the retina, which becomes subdivided into the neural retina and retinal pigmented epithelium domains. Although the roles of several paracrine factors in patterning the optic vesicle have been studied extensively, little is known about cell-autonomous mechanisms that regulate coordinated cell morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation of the retinal pigmented epithelium. Here we demonstrate that members of the SoxB1 gene family, Sox1, Sox2 and Sox3, are all downregulated in the presumptive retinal pigmented epithelium. Constitutive maintenance of SoxB1 expression in the presumptive retinal pigmented epithelium both in vivo and in vitro resulted in the absence of cuboidal morphology and pigmentation, and in concomitant induction of neural differentiation markers. We also demonstrate that exogenous Fgf4 inhibits downregulation all SoxB1 family members in the presumptive retinal pigment epithelium. These results suggest that retinal pigment epithelium morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation requires SoxB1 downregulation, which depends on the absence of exposure to an FGF-like signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuo Ishii
- University of California San Francisco, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rock Hall Room 384D, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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28
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29
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Li X, Glubrecht DD, Mita R, Godbout R. Expression of AP-2delta in the developing chick retina. Dev Dyn 2009; 237:3210-21. [PMID: 18924234 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AP-2 is a family of transcription factors that play important roles during embryonic development. Two AP-2 genes, AP-2alpha and AP-2beta, have previously been characterized in chick retina. Here, we demonstrate that a third member of the chicken AP-2 family, AP-2delta, is primarily expressed in the retina and brain, with highest levels at embryonic days 7 to 11. By in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis, we show that AP-2delta RNA and protein are found in a subset of ganglion cells in embryonic chick retina. Co-immunostaining with anti-Brn3a and anti-AP-2delta antibodies indicates that approximately one-third of Brn3a-positive ganglion cells express AP-2delta. AP-2delta RNA but not AP-2delta protein is also found in cells located in the outer half of the inner nuclear layer. The spatial and temporal distribution of AP-2delta protein in the retina suggests a transient role in a subset of late-born ganglion cells likely involving axonal trafficking or pathfinding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Li
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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30
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Lorén CE, Schrader JW, Ahlgren U, Gunhaga L. FGF signals induce Caprin2 expression in the vertebrate lens. Differentiation 2009; 77:386-94. [PMID: 19275872 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2008.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2008] [Revised: 10/21/2008] [Accepted: 11/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The lens of the eye is derived from the non-neural ectoderm situated next to the optic vesicle. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signals play a major role at various stages of vertebrate lens development ranging from induction and proliferation to differentiation. Less is however known about the identity of genes that are induced by FGF activity within the lens. We have isolated and characterized mouse cytoplasmic activation/proliferation-associated protein-2 (Caprin2), with domains belonging to both the Caprin family and the C1q and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) super-family. Here we show that Caprin2 is expressed in the developing vertebrate lens in mouse and chick, and that Caprin2 expression is up-regulated in primary lens fiber cells, after the induction of crystallins the earliest known markers for differentiated lens fiber cells. Caprin2 is subsequently down-regulated in the centre of the lens at the time and at the position of the first fiber cell denucleation and terminal differentiation. In vitro analyses of lens fiber cell differentiation provide evidence that FGF activity emanating from neighboring prospective retinal cells is required and that FGF8 activity is sufficient to induce Caprin2 in lens fiber cells. These results not only provide evidence that FGF signals induce the newly characterized protein Caprin2 in the lens, but also support the general idea that FGF signals are required for lens fiber cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina E Lorén
- Umeå Center for Molecular Medicine, Building 6M, 4th floor, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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31
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Tomonari S, Migita K, Takagi A, Noji S, Ohuchi H. Expression patterns of the opsin 5-related genes in the developing chicken retina. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:1910-22. [PMID: 18570255 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The opsin gene family encodes G protein-coupled seven-transmembrane proteins that bind to a retinaldehyde chromophore for photoreception. It has been reported that opsin 5 is expressed in mammalian neural tissue, but its function has been elusive. As a first step to understand the function for opsin 5 in the developing eye, we searched for chicken opsin 5-related genes in the genome by a bioinformatic approach and isolated opsin 5 cDNA fragments from the embryonic retina by RT-PCR. We found that there are three opsin 5-related genes, designated cOpn5m (chicken opsin 5, mammalian type), cOpn5L1 (chicken opsin 5-like 1), and cOpn5L2 (chicken opsin 5-like 2), in the chicken genome. Quantitative PCR analysis has revealed that cOpn5m is the most abundant in the developing and early posthatching neural retina. In situ hybridization analysis has shown that cOpn5m is specifically expressed in subsets of differentiating ganglion cells and amacrine cells. These results suggest that the mammalian type opsin 5 may contribute to the development of these retinal cells in the chicken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Tomonari
- Department of Life Systems, Institute of Technology and Science, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
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Roesch K, Jadhav AP, Trimarchi JM, Stadler MB, Roska B, Sun BB, Cepko CL. The transcriptome of retinal Müller glial cells. J Comp Neurol 2008; 509:225-38. [PMID: 18465787 PMCID: PMC2665263 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Müller glial cells are the major type of glia in the mammalian retina. To identify the molecular machinery that defines Müller glial cell identity and function, single cell gene expression profiling was performed on Affymetrix microarrays. Identification of a cluster of genes expressed at high levels suggests a Müller glia core transcriptome, which likely underlies many of the functions of Müller glia. Expression of components of the cell cycle machinery and the Notch pathway, as well as of growth factors, chemokines, and lipoproteins might allow communication between Müller glial cells and the neurons that they support, including modulation of neuronal activity. This approach revealed a set of transcripts that were not previously characterized in (Müller) glia; validation of the expression of some of these genes was performed by in situ hybridization. Genes expressed exclusively by Müller glia were identified as novel markers. In addition, a novel BAC transgenic mouse that expresses Cre in Müller glia cells was generated. The molecular fingerprint of Müller glia provides a foundation for further studies of Müller glia development and function in normal and diseased states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Roesch
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Batista MF, Jacobstein J, Lewis KE. Zebrafish V2 cells develop into excitatory CiD and Notch signalling dependent inhibitory VeLD interneurons. Dev Biol 2008; 322:263-75. [PMID: 18680739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2008] [Revised: 06/25/2008] [Accepted: 07/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate spinal cord contains distinct classes of cells that form at precise dorsal-ventral locations and express specific combinations of transcription factors. In amniotes, V2 cells develop in the ventral spinal cord, just dorsal to motoneurons. All V2 cells develop from the same progenitor domain and hence are initially molecularly identical. However, as they start to become post-mitotic and differentiate they subdivide into two intermingled molecularly-distinct subpopulations of cells, V2a and V2b cells. Here we show that the molecular identities of V2a and V2b cells are conserved between zebrafish and amniotes. In zebrafish, these two cell types both develop into interneurons with very similar morphologies, but while V2a cells become excitatory Circumferential Descending (CiD) interneurons, V2b cells become inhibitory Ventral Lateral Descending (VeLD) interneurons. In addition, we demonstrate that Notch signalling is required for V2 cells to develop into V2b cells. In the absence of Notch signalling, all V2b cells develop as V2a cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Batista
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
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Hecker LA, Alcon TC, Honavar VG, Greenlee MHW. Using a seed-network to query multiple large-scale gene expression datasets from the developing retina in order to identify and prioritize experimental targets. Bioinform Biol Insights 2008; 2:401-12. [PMID: 19812791 PMCID: PMC2735966 DOI: 10.4137/bbi.s417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the gene networks that orchestrate the differentiation of retinal progenitors into photoreceptors in the developing retina is important not only due to its therapeutic applications in treating retinal degeneration but also because the developing retina provides an excellent model for studying CNS development. Although several studies have profiled changes in gene expression during normal retinal development, these studies offer at best only a starting point for functional studies focused on a smaller subset of genes. The large number of genes profiled at comparatively few time points makes it extremely difficult to reliably infer gene networks from a gene expression dataset. We describe a novel approach to identify and prioritize from multiple gene expression datasets, a small subset of the genes that are likely to be good candidates for further experimental investigation. We report progress on addressing this problem using a novel approach to querying multiple large-scale expression datasets using a 'seed network' consisting of a small set of genes that are implicated by published studies in rod photoreceptor differentiation. We use the seed network to identify and sort a list of genes whose expression levels are highly correlated with those of multiple seed network genes in at least two of the five gene expression datasets. The fact that several of the genes in this list have been demonstrated, through experimental studies reported in the literature, to be important in rod photoreceptor function provides support for the utility of this approach in prioritizing experimental targets for further experimental investigation. Based on Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway annotations for the list of genes obtained in the context of other information available in the literature, we identified seven genes or groups of genes for possible inclusion in the gene network involved in differentiation of retinal progenitor cells into rod photoreceptors. Our approach to querying multiple gene expression datasets using a seed network constructed from known interactions between specific genes of interest provides a promising strategy for focusing hypothesis-driven experiments using large-scale 'omics' data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Hecker
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Hsiau THC, Diaconu C, Myers CA, Lee J, Cepko CL, Corbo JC. The cis-regulatory logic of the mammalian photoreceptor transcriptional network. PLoS One 2007; 2:e643. [PMID: 17653270 PMCID: PMC1916400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2007] [Accepted: 06/19/2007] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The photoreceptor cells of the retina are subject to a greater number of genetic diseases than any other cell type in the human body. The majority of more than 120 cloned human blindness genes are highly expressed in photoreceptors. In order to establish an integrative framework in which to understand these diseases, we have undertaken an experimental and computational analysis of the network controlled by the mammalian photoreceptor transcription factors, Crx, Nrl, and Nr2e3. Using microarray and in situ hybridization datasets we have produced a model of this network which contains over 600 genes, including numerous retinal disease loci as well as previously uncharacterized photoreceptor transcription factors. To elucidate the connectivity of this network, we devised a computational algorithm to identify the photoreceptor-specific cis-regulatory elements (CREs) mediating the interactions between these transcription factors and their target genes. In vivo validation of our computational predictions resulted in the discovery of 19 novel photoreceptor-specific CREs near retinal disease genes. Examination of these CREs permitted the definition of a simple cis-regulatory grammar rule associated with high-level expression. To test the generality of this rule, we used an expanded form of it as a selection filter to evolve photoreceptor CREs from random DNA sequences in silico. When fused to fluorescent reporters, these evolved CREs drove strong, photoreceptor-specific expression in vivo. This study represents the first systematic identification and in vivo validation of CREs in a mammalian neuronal cell type and lays the groundwork for a systems biology of photoreceptor transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H.-C. Hsiau
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Claudiu Diaconu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Connie A. Myers
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jongwoo Lee
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Constance L. Cepko
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: (CC); (JC)
| | - Joseph C. Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: (CC); (JC)
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Corbo JC, Myers CA, Lawrence KA, Jadhav AP, Cepko CL. A typology of photoreceptor gene expression patterns in the mouse. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:12069-74. [PMID: 17620597 PMCID: PMC1913549 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0705465104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in photoreceptor-enriched genes have been implicated in dozens of human retinal diseases, yet no systematic analysis of rod and cone gene expression patterns has been carried out. In addition, although cone photoreceptor loss accounts for much of the morbidity of retinal disease, relatively few cone-specific genes are known. In this study, we carried out microarray and in situ hybridization analyses of the mouse Neural retina leucine zipper gene (Nrl) mutant, which shows an en masse conversion of rods into cones, to establish a typology of photoreceptor gene expression and to identify novel cone-specific genes. We found a total of 18 new cone-enriched genes, some of which map near uncloned retinal disease loci. Several of these genes have a dorsal-ventral (D-V) pattern of expression similar to that of short- or medium-wavelength opsins. We carried out microarray analysis of dorsal and ventral microdissected WT retina and found additional photoreceptor genes with an asymmetric distribution. Overall, we found that photoreceptor genes fall on an expression spectrum from rod-specific to cone-specific, with many showing varying degrees of rod and cone coexpression. These expression patterns can be reliably predicted from microarray data alone. Our results demonstrate definitive molecular differences between rods and cones that may underlie the physiological differences between these two classes of photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C. Corbo
- *Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110; and
| | - Connie A. Myers
- *Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110; and
| | - Karen A. Lawrence
- *Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110; and
| | - Ashutosh P. Jadhav
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Constance L. Cepko
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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37
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Clark AM, Yun S, Veien ES, Wu YY, Chow RL, Dorsky RI, Levine EM. Negative regulation of Vsx1 by its paralog Chx10/Vsx2 is conserved in the vertebrate retina. Brain Res 2007; 1192:99-113. [PMID: 17919464 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2007] [Revised: 06/08/2007] [Accepted: 06/13/2007] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Chx10/Vsx2 and Vsx1 are the only Paired-like CVC (Prd-L:CVC) homeobox genes in the mouse genome. Both are expressed in the retina and have important but distinct roles in retinal development. Mutations in Chx10/Vsx2 cause reduced retinal progenitor cell (RPC) proliferation and an absence of bipolar cells, while mutations in Vsx1 impair differentiation of cone bipolar cells. Given their structural similarities and importance in retinal development, we sought to determine if a regulatory interaction exists between these genes and whether inactivation of both genes blocks initiation of retinal development. We found that Chx10/Vsx2 binds to a specific sequence in the Vsx1 5'-intergenic region and represses the activity of a luciferase reporter under the control of the Vsx1 promoter. This is consistent with our observation that there is an inverse relationship between the levels of Chx10/Vsx2 and Vsx1 immunostaining within the bipolar cell class. Furthermore, Vsx1 mRNA is upregulated in the RPCs of Chx10/Vsx2 deficient mice and zebrafish embryos injected with a chx10/vsx2 morpholino. In mice deficient for both Chx10/Vsx2 and Vsx1 and zebrafish embryos co-injected with chx10/Vsx2 and vsx1 morpholinos, the changes in embryonic retinal development and marker expression are similar in magnitude to embryos with Chx10/Vsx2 loss of function only. From these studies, we propose that Vsx1 is a direct target of Chx10/Vsx2-mediated transcriptional repression. Although Vsx1 mRNA is upregulated in Chx10/Vsx2 deficient RPCs, Vsx1 does not genetically compensate for loss of Chx10/Vsx2, demonstrating that Prd-L:CVC genes, although important, are not absolutely required to initiate retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Clark
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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38
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Lawrence JM, Singhal S, Bhatia B, Keegan DJ, Reh TA, Luthert PJ, Khaw PT, Limb GA. MIO-M1 cells and similar muller glial cell lines derived from adult human retina exhibit neural stem cell characteristics. Stem Cells 2007; 25:2033-43. [PMID: 17525239 DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2006-0724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that glial cells may have a role as neural precursors in the adult central nervous system. Although it has been shown that Müller cells exhibit progenitor characteristics in the postnatal chick and rat retinae, their progenitor-like role in developed human retina is unknown. We first reported the Müller glial characteristics of the spontaneously immortalized human cell line MIO-M1, but recently we have derived similar cell lines from the neural retina of several adult eye donors. Since immortalization is one of the main properties of stem cells, we investigated whether these cells expressed stem cell markers. Cells were grown as adherent monolayers, responded to epidermal growth factor, and could be expanded indefinitely without growth factors under normal culture conditions. They could be frozen and thawed without losing their characteristics. In the presence of extracellular matrix and fibroblast growth factor-2 or retinoic acid, they acquired neural morphology, formed neurospheres, and expressed neural stem cell markers including betaIII tubulin, Sox2, Pax6, Chx10, and Notch 1. They also expressed markers of postmitotic retinal neurons, including peripherin, recoverin, calretinin, S-opsin, and Brn3. When grafted into the subretinal space of dystrophic Royal College of Surgeons rats or neonatal Lister hooded rats, immortalized cells migrated into the retina, where they expressed various markers of retinal neurons. These observations indicate that adult human neural retina harbors a population of cells that express both Müller glial and stem cell markers and suggest that these cells may have potential use for cell-based therapies to restore retinal function. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean M Lawrence
- Ocular Repair and Regeneration Biology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
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Lakowski J, Majumder A, Lauderdale JD. Mechanisms controlling Pax6 isoform expression in the retina have been conserved between teleosts and mammals. Dev Biol 2007; 307:498-520. [PMID: 17509554 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2006] [Revised: 03/16/2007] [Accepted: 04/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Pax6 gene plays several roles in retinal development, including control of cell proliferation, maintenance of the retinogenic potential of progenitor cells, and cell fate specification. Emerging evidence suggests that these different aspects of Pax6 gene function are mediated by different isoforms of the Pax6 protein; however, relatively little is known about the spatiotemporal expression of Pax6 isoforms in the vertebrate retina. Using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology, we modified a zebrafish Pax6a BAC such that we could distinguish paired-containing Pax6a transcripts from paired-less Pax6a transcripts. In the zebrafish, the spatial and temporal onset of expression of these transcripts suggests that the paired-less isoform is involved in the cell fate decision leading to the generation of amacrine cells; however, because of limitations associated with transient transgenic analysis, it was not feasible to establish whether this promoter was active in all amacrine cells or in a specific population of amacrine cells. By making mice transgenic for the zebrafish Pax6a BAC reporter transgene, we were able to show that paired-containing and paired-less Pax6a transcripts were differentially expressed in amacrine subpopulations. Our study also directly demonstrates the functional conservation of the regulatory mechanisms governing Pax6 transcription in teleosts and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörn Lakowski
- Department of Cellular Biology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Dias da Silva MR, Tiffin N, Mima T, Mikawa T, Hyer J. FGF-mediated induction of ciliary body tissue in the chick eye. Dev Biol 2007; 304:272-85. [PMID: 17275804 PMCID: PMC1863121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2005] [Revised: 12/13/2006] [Accepted: 12/14/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Upon morphogenesis, the simple neuroepithelium of the optic vesicle gives rise to four basic tissues in the vertebrate optic cup: pigmented epithelium, sensory neural retina, secretory ciliary body and muscular iris. Pigmented epithelium and neural retina are established through interactions with specific environments and signals: periocular mesenchyme/BMP specifies pigmented epithelium and surface ectoderm/FGF specifies neural retina. The anterior portions (iris and ciliary body) are specified through interactions with lens although the molecular mechanisms of induction have not been deciphered. As lens is a source of FGF, we examined whether this factor was involved in inducing ciliary body. We forced the pigmented epithelium of the embryonic chick eye to express FGF4. Infected cells and their immediate neighbors were transformed into neural retina. At a distance from the FGF signal, the tissue transitioned back into pigmented epithelium. Ciliary body tissue was found in the transitioning zone. The ectopic ciliary body was never in contact with the lens tissue. In order to assess the contribution of the lens on the specification of normal ciliary body, we created optic cups in which the lens had been removed while still pre-lens ectoderm. Ciliary body tissue was identified in the anterior portion of lens-less optic cups. We propose that the ciliary body may be specified at optic vesicle stages, at the same developmental stage when the neural retina and pigmented epithelium are specified and we present a model as to how this could be accomplished through overlapping BMP and FGF signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus R Dias da Silva
- Department of Neurosurgery, Box 0520, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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41
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Jadhav AP, Cho SH, Cepko CL. Notch activity permits retinal cells to progress through multiple progenitor states and acquire a stem cell property. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:18998-9003. [PMID: 17148603 PMCID: PMC1682012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0608155103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Signaling through the Notch pathway regulates multiple aspects of development. The vertebrate retina allows an investigation of the basis for these various effects, because the major cell types of the retina arise from a common progenitor that expresses Notch1. The Notch pathway was constitutively activated in distinct populations of retinal cells during development. Prolonged Notch activity in progenitor cells maintained cells in the progenitor state without perturbing temporal identity, promoting early progenitor characteristics early in development and late progenitor characteristics later in development. Eventually, constitutive Notch activation led these cells to acquire characteristics of glial and stem cells. In contrast, reactivating the Notch pathway in newly postmitotic retinal cells promoted mature glial cell formation in a subset of cells. These data suggest that prolonged Notch activity does not disrupt the normal progression of progenitor temporal states, and that down-regulating or overcoming Notch activity is required for proper formation of both neuronal and glial cell fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashutosh P. Jadhav
- *Harvard–Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology and
| | - Seo-Hee Cho
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Constance L. Cepko
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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42
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Mateos S, Amarir S, Laugier D, Marx M, Calothy G. Stable expression of intracellular Notch suppresses v-Src-induced transformation in avian neural cells. Oncogene 2006; 26:3338-51. [PMID: 17146440 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how disruption of differentiation contributes to the cancer cell phenotype is required to identify alterations essential for malignant transformation and provide experimental basis for their correction. We investigated whether primary quail neuroretina cells, transformed by a conditional v-Src mutant (QNR/v-src(ts)), could revert to a normal phenotype, in response to the stable expression of constitutively active Notch1 intracellular domain (ICN). This model system was chosen because Notch signaling plays an instructive role in cell fate determination during NR development, and because the intrinsic capacity of QNR cultures to differentiate is blocked by v-Src. We report that stable ICN expression results in suppression of QNR/v-src(ts) cell transformation in the presence of an active oncoprotein. This phenotypic reversion coincides with a major switch in cell identity, as these undifferentiated cells acquire glial differentiation traits. Both changes appear to be mediated by CBF, a transcription factor that binds to ICN and activates target genes. Cells restored to a normal and differentiated phenotype have undergone changes in the functioning of signaling effectors, essentially regulating cell morphology and cytoskeleton organization. This dominant interference may be partially mediated by an autocrine/paracrine mechanism, as revertant cells secrete a factor(s), which inhibits transformation properties of QNR/v-src(ts) cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mateos
- UMR 146 du CNRS-Institut CURIE, Centre Universitaire, Orsay Cedex, France
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43
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D'Autilia S, Decembrini S, Casarosa S, He RQ, Barsacchi G, Cremisi F, Andreazzoli M. Cloning and developmental expression of the Xenopus homeobox gene Xvsx1. Dev Genes Evol 2006; 216:829-34. [PMID: 17103185 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-006-0109-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2006] [Accepted: 08/14/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to the high degree of evolutionary conservation of the Vsx2/Chx10 gene family, vertebrate orthologues of Vsx1 display more divergent sequences and spatio-temporal expression patterns. Here, we report the cloning and expression pattern of Xenopus laevis Vsx1. Differently from the mouse and zebrafish orthologues, Xvsx1 transcription is activated at early neurula both in the evaginating eye vesicles and in the presumptive spinal cord. Compared to other retinal homeobox genes, such as Xrx1, Xsix3 and Xpax6, Xvsx1 is activated at a later stage; in addition, its anterior expression appears to be more specifically restricted to the retina. At tail bud stage, Xvsx1 expression in retinal progenitors persists, and its neural tube expression, which in the spinal cord corresponds to interneurons, progressively expands anteriorly reaching the midbrain-hindbrain boundary. During retinal neurogenesis, Xvsx1 expression is maintained in retinal progenitors and in a peripheral region of the ciliary marginal zone, while in the central retina, it becomes restricted to differentiated bipolar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia D'Autilia
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Universitá degli Studi di Pisa, Via Carducci 13, 56010 Ghezzano, Pisa, Italy
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44
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Cho SH, Cepko CL. Wnt2b/β-catenin-mediated canonical Wnt signaling determines the peripheral fates of the chick eye. Development 2006; 133:3167-77. [PMID: 16854977 DOI: 10.1242/dev.02474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Wnt signaling orchestrates multiple aspects of central nervous system development, including cell proliferation and cell fate choices. In this study, we used gene transfer to activate or inhibit canonical Wnt signaling in vivo in the developing eye. We found that the expression of Wnt2b or constitutively active (CA) β-catenin inhibited retinal progenitor gene(RPG) expression and the differentiation of retinal neurons. In addition, Wnt signal activation in the central retina was sufficient to induce the expression of markers of the ciliary body and iris, two tissues derived from the peripheral optic cup (OC). The expression of a dominant-negative (DN)allele of Lef1, or of a Lef1-engrailed fusion protein, led to the inhibition of expression of peripheral genes and iris hypoplasia, suggesting that canonical Wnt signaling is required for peripheral eye development. We propose that canonical Wnt signaling in the developing optic vesicle (OV) and OC plays a crucial role in determining the identity of the ciliary body and iris. Because wingless (wg) plays a similar role in the induction of peripheral eye tissues of Drosophila, these findings indicate a possible conservation of the process that patterns the photoreceptive and support structures of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo-Hee Cho
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Turner BA, Sparrow J, Cai B, Monroe J, Mikawa T, Hempstead BL. TrkB/BDNF signaling regulates photoreceptor progenitor cell fate decisions. Dev Biol 2006; 299:455-65. [PMID: 17005175 PMCID: PMC2623246 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2005] [Revised: 08/07/2006] [Accepted: 08/09/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrophins, via activation of Trk receptor tyrosine kinases, serve as mitogens, survival factors and regulators of arborization during retinal development. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and TrkB regulate neuronal arborization and survival in late retinal development. However, TrkB is expressed during early retinal development where its functions are unclear. To assess TrkB/BDNF actions in the early chick retina, replication-incompetent retroviruses were utilized to over-express a dominant negative truncated form of TrkB (trunc TrkB), or BDNF and effects were assessed at E15. Clones expressing trunc TrkB were smaller than controls, and proliferation and apoptosis assays suggest that decreased clone size correlated with increased cell death when BDNF/TrkB signaling was impaired. Analysis of clonal composition revealed that trunc TrkB over-expression decreased photoreceptor numbers (41%) and increased cell numbers in the middle third of the inner nuclear layer (INL) (23%). Conversely, BDNF over-expression increased photoreceptor numbers (25%) and decreased INL numbers (17%). Photoreceptors over-expressing trunc TrkB demonstrated no increase in apoptosis nor abnormalities in lamination suggesting that TrkB activation is not required for photoreceptor cell survival or migration. These studies suggest that TrkB signaling regulates commitment to and/or differentiation of photoreceptor cells from retinal progenitor cells, identifying a novel role for TrkB/BDNF in regulating cell fate decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. Turner
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Janet Sparrow
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Bolin Cai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Julie Monroe
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Takashi Mikawa
- Department of Cell Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Barbara L. Hempstead
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10021
- *Author to whom to address correspondence: Barbara L. Hempstead, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, Room C606, New York, New York, 10021, phone: 212-746-6215, fax: 212-746-8647,
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Moreira EF, Adler R. Effects of follistatin overexpression on cell differentiation in the chick embryo retina. Dev Biol 2006; 298:272-84. [PMID: 16872597 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2006] [Revised: 06/21/2006] [Accepted: 06/22/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although activin is expressed in the embryonic central nervous system (CNS), its possible functions in the regulation of CNS neuronal differentiation remain largely unknown. We have investigated this question in the retina, a well-characterized CNS structure previously shown to respond to activin in vitro, and to express activin subunits and receptors in vivo. RCAS retroviruses were used to overexpress in the chick retina in ovo either follistatin (FS), an activin-binding protein and inhibitor, or alkaline phosphatase (AP), as control. FS-treated retinas appeared normal until ED 8, when they showed a reduction of the inner plexiform layer, accompanied by a marked decrease in the frequency of amacrine cells. The territory lacking amacrine cells showed downregulation of transcription factors necessary for amacrine cell differentiation, such as Pax6 and AP2alpha, accompanied by ectopic expression of transcription factors associated with the development of horizontal or bipolar neurons, such as Prox1, Chx10 and NeuroM. Increases in cell death were also observed in FS-treated retinas. Taken together with previous in vitro studies, our results suggest that activin is a powerful regulator of neuronal differentiation in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto F Moreira
- Department of Opthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287-9257, USA
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Canto-Soler MV, Adler R. Optic cup and lens development requires Pax6 expression in the early optic vesicle during a narrow time window. Dev Biol 2006; 294:119-32. [PMID: 16564518 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2005] [Revised: 02/15/2006] [Accepted: 02/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pax6 mutations cause complex ocular malformations, but it is uncertain whether early eye development normally requires Pax6 function in both the optic vesicle (OV) and the lens epithelium, or only in the latter. To investigate this question, we electroporated the OV with anti-Pax6 or control morpholinos before the onset of lens placode formation. Pax6 downregulation was already detectable in the OV 10 h after anti-Pax6 treatment, and was accompanied by a significant increase in the death of OV cells. A small eye-like phenotype developed thereafter, whose severity was developmental stage-dependent. When treatment was applied at Hamburger Hamilton (HH) stage 10, there was no optic cup formation, and lens development was abortive despite normal Pax6 expression in the lens epithelium. Treatment at HH stage 11 resulted in structurally normal lens and optic cup, although the latter showed abnormal expression domains for several transcription factors. Early eye development therefore requires cell-autonomous Pax6 function not only in the lens but also in the optic vesicle, where it plays a hitherto unknown role in cell survival. The results, moreover, indicate that there is a critical stage during which Pax6 expression in the OV is necessary for normal lens development.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Valeria Canto-Soler
- The Department of Ophthalmology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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48
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Sherry DM, Mitchell R, Li H, Graham DR, Ash JD. Leukemia inhibitory factor inhibits neuronal development and disrupts synaptic organization in the mouse retina. J Neurosci Res 2006; 82:316-32. [PMID: 16206277 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.20619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) belongs to the interleukin-6 cytokine family, all members of which signal through the common gp130 receptor. Neurotrophic members of this cytokine family are known to arrest photoreceptor maturation and are likely to regulate maturation of other retinal neurons as well. We have used transgenic mice that constitutively express LIF beginning in embryonic development to determine its effects on synaptic organization and molecular maturation of all classes of retinal neurons. LIF reduced the numbers of cells showing markers characteristic of mature cells of all neuronal classes and caused synaptic ectopia. The net effect was disrupted morphological development and disturbed synaptic organization. Our study suggests that cytokines signaling through gp130 are capable of regulating many aspects of neuronal differentiation in the retina, including synaptic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Sherry
- University of Houston College of Optometry, Houston, Texas, USA
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Badde A, Bumsted-O'Brien KM, Schulte D. Chick receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase lambda/psi (cRPTPlambda/cRPTPpsi) is dynamically expressed at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary and in the embryonic neural retina. Gene Expr Patterns 2005; 5:786-91. [PMID: 15922674 DOI: 10.1016/j.modgep.2005.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2004] [Revised: 03/31/2005] [Accepted: 04/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The isthmic organizer, located near the boundary between the developing midbrain and hindbrain, controls the patterning of adjacent brain regions. Here we describe the spatial and temporal expression of chick receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase lambda (cRPTPlambda, also known as cRPTPpsi) during the development of this structure. After an initial widespread expression throughout the caudal forebrain and midbrain region, expression of cRPTPlambda is confined to the ventral midline of the neural tube, the future neural retina and lens, and a sharp ring at the isthmic constriction, overlying the molecular mid-hindbrain boundary (MHB). MHB expression of cRPTPlambda borders at the caudal limit of the expression domain of the transcription factor Otx2, appears to partially overlap with that of the secreted protein Wnt1 and is similar to that of the Ig-CAM CEPU-1. In the neural retina, expression is restricted to the ventricular zone, where the cell bodies of retinal progenitor cells reside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Badde
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Deutschordenstr. 46, 60528 Frankfurt/M., Germany
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Casarosa S, Leone P, Cannata S, Santini F, Pinchera A, Barsacchi G, Andreazzoli M. Genetic analysis of metamorphic and premetamorphic Xenopus ciliary marginal zone. Dev Dyn 2005; 233:646-51. [PMID: 15844194 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A major event affecting the eye during amphibian metamorphosis is an asymmetrical growth of the ventrotemporal portion of the retina compared with its dorsonasal counterpart. This event is due to an increased proliferation of the precursors of the ventral ciliary marginal zone (CMZ). Here, we analyze the expression patterns of several key homeobox genes implicated in eye development (Xrx1, Xvax2, Xsix3, Xpax6, Xchx10, Xotx2) to understand whether they are active at the time in which the metamorphic changes of the retina occur. We also analyze their expression patterns in the ventral and dorsal CMZ and compare them with bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in the CMZ. Our results suggest that the metamorphic CMZ maintains the functional subdivisions described during embryonic development. Moreover, we find that genes involved in proliferation and cell type determination of the embryonic retina are actively transcribed in the proliferating CMZ, thus indicating a potential regulatory role for these genes in the metamorphic retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Casarosa
- Laboratorio di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Biochimica, Università di Pisa, Ghezzano-Pisa, Italy.
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