1
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Nakayama A, Watanabe M, Yamashiro R, Kuroyanagi H, Matsuyama HJ, Oshima A, Mori I, Nakano S. A hyperpolarizing neuron recruits undocked innexin hemichannels to transmit neural information in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2406565121. [PMID: 38753507 PMCID: PMC11127054 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406565121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
While depolarization of the neuronal membrane is known to evoke the neurotransmitter release from synaptic vesicles, hyperpolarization is regarded as a resting state of chemical neurotransmission. Here, we report that hyperpolarizing neurons can actively signal neural information by employing undocked hemichannels. We show that UNC-7, a member of the innexin family in Caenorhabditis elegans, functions as a hemichannel in thermosensory neurons and transmits temperature information from the thermosensory neurons to their postsynaptic interneurons. By monitoring neural activities in freely behaving animals, we find that hyperpolarizing thermosensory neurons inhibit the activity of the interneurons and that UNC-7 hemichannels regulate this process. UNC-7 is required to control thermotaxis behavior and functions independently of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Our findings suggest that innexin hemichannels mediate neurotransmission from hyperpolarizing neurons in a manner that is distinct from the synaptic transmission, expanding the way of neural circuitry operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Nakayama
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Laboratory of Pattern Formation, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Riku Yamashiro
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Hiroo Kuroyanagi
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Hironori J. Matsuyama
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Atsunori Oshima
- Department of Basic Biology, Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya464-8601, Japan
- Department of Basic Medicinal Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8601, Japan
- Molecular Physiology Division, Institute for Glyco-core Research, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya464-8601, Japan
- Division of Innovative Modality Development, Center for One Medicine Innovative Translational Research, Gifu University Institute for Advanced Study, Gifu501-11193, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Changping District, Beijing102206, China
| | - Shunji Nakano
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
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2
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Tseng CC, Woolley TE, Jiang TX, Wu P, Maini PK, Widelitz RB, Chuong CM. Gap junctions in Turing-type periodic feather pattern formation. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002636. [PMID: 38743770 PMCID: PMC11161087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Periodic patterning requires coordinated cell-cell interactions at the tissue level. Turing showed, using mathematical modeling, how spatial patterns could arise from the reactions of a diffusive activator-inhibitor pair in an initially homogeneous 2D field. Most activators and inhibitors studied in biological systems are proteins, and the roles of cell-cell interaction, ions, bioelectricity, etc. are only now being identified. Gap junctions (GJs) mediate direct exchanges of ions or small molecules between cells, enabling rapid long-distance communications in a cell collective. They are therefore good candidates for propagating nonprotein-based patterning signals that may act according to the Turing principles. Here, we explore the possible roles of GJs in Turing-type patterning using feather pattern formation as a model. We found 7 of the 12 investigated GJ isoforms are highly dynamically expressed in the developing chicken skin. In ovo functional perturbations of the GJ isoform, connexin 30, by siRNA and the dominant-negative mutant applied before placode development led to disrupted primary feather bud formation. Interestingly, inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in the ex vivo skin explant culture allowed the sequential emergence of new feather buds at specific spatial locations relative to the existing primary buds. The results suggest that GJIC may facilitate the propagation of long-distance inhibitory signals. Thus, inhibition of GJs may stimulate Turing-type periodic feather pattern formation during chick skin development, and the removal of GJ activity would enable the emergence of new feather buds if the local environment were competent and the threshold to form buds was reached. We further propose Turing-based computational simulations that can predict the sequential appearance of these ectopic buds. Our models demonstrate how a Turing activator-inhibitor system can continue to generate patterns in the competent morphogenetic field when the level of intercellular communication at the tissue scale is modulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chih Tseng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Ting-Xin Jiang
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Philip K. Maini
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, Andrew Wiles Building, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Randall B. Widelitz
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Podobnik M, Singh AP, Fu Z, Dooley CM, Frohnhöfer HG, Firlej M, Stednitz SJ, Elhabashy H, Weyand S, Weir JR, Lu J, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Irion U. kcnj13 regulates pigment cell shapes in zebrafish and has diverged by cis-regulatory evolution between Danio species. Development 2023; 150:dev201627. [PMID: 37530080 PMCID: PMC10482006 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Teleost fish of the genus Danio are excellent models to study the genetic and cellular bases of pigment pattern variation in vertebrates. The two sister species Danio rerio and Danio aesculapii show divergent patterns of horizontal stripes and vertical bars that are partly caused by the divergence of the potassium channel gene kcnj13. Here, we show that kcnj13 is required only in melanophores for interactions with xanthophores and iridophores, which cause location-specific pigment cell shapes and thereby influence colour pattern and contrast in D. rerio. Cis-regulatory rather than protein coding changes underlie kcnj13 divergence between the two Danio species. Our results suggest that homotypic and heterotypic interactions between the pigment cells and their shapes diverged between species by quantitative changes in kcnj13 expression during pigment pattern diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Podobnik
- Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ajeet P. Singh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Zhenqiang Fu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Christopher M. Dooley
- Department of Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | | | - Magdalena Firlej
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah J. Stednitz
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hadeer Elhabashy
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simone Weyand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - John R. Weir
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jianguo Lu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | | | - Uwe Irion
- Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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4
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Watanabe M. Fish-specific N-terminal domain sequence in Connexin 39.4 plays an important role in zebrafish stripe formation by regulating the opening and closing of gap junctions and hemichannels. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130342. [PMID: 36889448 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Connexin 39.4 (Cx39.4) is involved in zebrafish (Danio rerio) skin patterning; when mutated, zebrafish exhibit a wavy stripe/labyrinth pattern instead of stripes. Cx39.4 is unique in that it has two additional serine/arginine (SR) residues, Ser2 and Arg3, at positions 2 and 3. Here, I investigated the role of these SR residues in Cx39.4 function. METHODS To examine the SR residues in Cx39.4, mutants of the SR residues were generated. Voltage-clamp recordings were performed using Xenopus oocytes to characterize the channel properties of the mutants. Transgenic zebrafish expressing each mutant were generated, and the effects of each mutation on fish skin patterning were evaluated. RESULTS The Cx39.4R3K mutant showed essentially the same properties as the wild-type (Cx39.4WT) in both electrophysiological analyses, leading to transgenic, complete phenotype rescue. Both the Cx39.4R3A mutant and deletion mutant of SR residues (Cx39.4delSR) showed a faster decay of gap junction activity and abnormal hemichannel activity, resulting in wide stripes and interstripes that indicate instability. Although the Cx39.4R3D mutant showed no channel activity in gap junctions or hemichannels, it caused unstable phenotypes in the transgene, namely a completely rescued phenotype in some individuals and loss of melanophores in others. CONCLUSIONS The SR residues in the NT domain of Cx39.4 are critical for the regulation of channel function, which appears to determine skin patterning. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE These results elucidate the roles of the two SR residues unique to the NT domain of Cx39.4 in its channel function, which is important for zebrafish stripe pattern formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masakatsu Watanabe
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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5
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Tseng CC, Woolley TE, Jiang TX, Wu P, Maini PK, Widelitz RB, Chuong CM. Gap junctions in Turing-type periodic feather pattern formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.15.537019. [PMID: 37090608 PMCID: PMC10120740 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.15.537019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Periodic patterning requires coordinated cell-cell interactions at the tissue level. Turing showed, using mathematical modeling, how spatial patterns could arise from the reactions of a diffusive activator-inhibitor pair in an initially homogenous two-dimensional field. Most activators and inhibitors studied in biological systems are proteins, and the roles of cell-cell interaction, ions, bioelectricity, etc. are only now being identified. Gap junctions (GJs) mediate direct exchanges of ions or small molecules between cells, enabling rapid long-distance communications in a cell collective. They are therefore good candidates for propagating non-protein-based patterning signals that may act according to the Turing principles. Here, we explore the possible roles of GJs in Turing-type patterning using feather pattern formation as a model. We found seven of the twelve investigated GJ isoforms are highly dynamically expressed in the developing chicken skin. In ovo functional perturbations of the GJ isoform, connexin 30, by siRNA and the dominant-negative mutant applied before placode development led to disrupted primary feather bud formation, including patches of smooth skin and buds of irregular sizes. Later, after the primary feather arrays were laid out, inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication in the ex vivo skin explant culture allowed the emergence of new feather buds in temporal waves at specific spatial locations relative to the existing primary buds. The results suggest that gap junctional communication may facilitate the propagation of long-distance inhibitory signals. Thus, the removal of GJ activity would enable the emergence of new feather buds if the local environment is competent and the threshold to form buds is reached. We propose Turing-based computational simulations that can predict the appearance of these ectopic bud waves. Our models demonstrate how a Turing activator-inhibitor system can continue to generate patterns in the competent morphogenetic field when the level of intercellular communication at the tissue scale is modulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chih Tseng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, U.S.A
- Current address: Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, U.S.A
| | - Thomas E. Woolley
- School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Senghennydd Road, Cardiff, CF24 4AG, U.K
| | - Ting-Xin Jiang
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, U.S.A
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, U.S.A
| | - Philip K. Maini
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, Andrew Wiles Building, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, U.K
| | - Randall B. Widelitz
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, U.S.A
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, U.S.A
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6
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Silic MR, Zhang G. Bioelectricity in Developmental Patterning and Size Control: Evidence and Genetically Encoded Tools in the Zebrafish Model. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081148. [PMID: 37190057 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental patterning is essential for regulating cellular events such as axial patterning, segmentation, tissue formation, and organ size determination during embryogenesis. Understanding the patterning mechanisms remains a central challenge and fundamental interest in developmental biology. Ion-channel-regulated bioelectric signals have emerged as a player of the patterning mechanism, which may interact with morphogens. Evidence from multiple model organisms reveals the roles of bioelectricity in embryonic development, regeneration, and cancers. The Zebrafish model is the second most used vertebrate model, next to the mouse model. The zebrafish model has great potential for elucidating the functions of bioelectricity due to many advantages such as external development, transparent early embryogenesis, and tractable genetics. Here, we review genetic evidence from zebrafish mutants with fin-size and pigment changes related to ion channels and bioelectricity. In addition, we review the cell membrane voltage reporting and chemogenetic tools that have already been used or have great potential to be implemented in zebrafish models. Finally, new perspectives and opportunities for bioelectricity research with zebrafish are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Silic
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - GuangJun Zhang
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases (PI4D), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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7
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Hongo H, Miyawaki S, Teranishi Y, Mitsui J, Katoh H, Komura D, Tsubota K, Matsukawa T, Watanabe M, Kurita M, Yoshimura J, Dofuku S, Ohara K, Ishigami D, Okano A, Kato M, Hakuno F, Takahashi A, Kunita A, Ishiura H, Shin M, Nakatomi H, Nagao T, Goto H, Takahashi SI, Ushiku T, Ishikawa S, Okazaki M, Morishita S, Tsuji S, Saito N. Somatic GJA4 gain-of-function mutation in orbital cavernous venous malformations. Angiogenesis 2023; 26:37-52. [PMID: 35902510 PMCID: PMC9908695 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-022-09846-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Orbital cavernous venous malformation (OCVM) is a sporadic vascular anomaly of uncertain etiology characterized by abnormally dilated vascular channels. Here, we identify a somatic missense mutation, c.121G > T (p.Gly41Cys) in GJA4, which encodes a transmembrane protein that is a component of gap junctions and hemichannels in the vascular system, in OCVM tissues from 25/26 (96.2%) individuals with OCVM. GJA4 expression was detected in OCVM tissue including endothelial cells and the stroma, through immunohistochemistry. Within OCVM tissue, the mutation allele frequency was higher in endothelial cell-enriched fractions obtained using magnetic-activated cell sorting. Whole-cell voltage clamp analysis in Xenopus oocytes revealed that GJA4 c.121G > T (p.Gly41Cys) is a gain-of-function mutation that leads to the formation of a hyperactive hemichannel. Overexpression of the mutant protein in human umbilical vein endothelial cells led to a loss of cellular integrity, which was rescued by carbenoxolone, a non-specific gap junction/hemichannel inhibitor. Our data suggest that GJA4 c.121G > T (p.Gly41Cys) is a potential driver gene mutation for OCVM. We propose that hyperactive hemichannel plays a role in the development of this vascular phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Hongo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Satoru Miyawaki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
| | - Yu Teranishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Jun Mitsui
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroto Katoh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Komura
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kinya Tsubota
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsukawa
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Laboratory of Pattern Formation, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masakazu Kurita
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Yoshimura
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shogo Dofuku
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Kenta Ohara
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Daiichiro Ishigami
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Atsushi Okano
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Motoi Kato
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Hakuno
- Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayaka Takahashi
- Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Kunita
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ishiura
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Shin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Nakatomi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Nagao
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Goto
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Takahashi
- Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ushiku
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shumpei Ishikawa
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mutsumi Okazaki
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Morishita
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shoji Tsuji
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Medical Genomics, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Chiba, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Saito
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
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8
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Gurao A, Vasisth R, Singh R, Dige MS, Vohra V, Mukesh M, Kumar S, Kataria RS. Identification of differential methylome signatures of white pigmented skin patches in Nili Ravi buffalo of India. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2022; 63:408-417. [PMID: 36239068 DOI: 10.1002/em.22511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The DNA methylation events mark a major epigenetic change in the genome, reflecting non-genetic disease developments and varied phenotypes. The water buffalo is a dairy production animal with wide agro-climatic distribution in India. Breed-wise the coat color of water buffalo varies from ash-gray to jet black. A typical pigmentation pattern is found in one of the breeds of North India, Nili Ravi, with variedly distributed white patches. The DNA methylation pattern could potentially reveal the epigenetic factors responsible for the pigmentation patterns. To address this question, the DNA isolated from the skin tissues of Nili Ravi with varied white pigmentation and black Murrah buffaloes was subjected to reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. DNA methylation analysis revealed, 68.44%, 63.39%, and 47.94% of the promoter regions were hypermethylated in Nili Ravi over-white versus Murrah, Nili Ravi under-white versus Murrah, and Nili Ravi under-white versus Nili Ravi over-white, respectively. Major genes identified to be differentially methylated among over-white and under-white skin tissues in Nili Ravi included TBX2, SNAI2, HERC2, and CITED1. Overall the results have indicated differential methylation patterns to be potentially involved in hyper or hypopigmentation in Nili Ravi and Murrah buffaloes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Gurao
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Rashi Vasisth
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Ravinder Singh
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Mahesh S Dige
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Vikas Vohra
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Manishi Mukesh
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Ranjit S Kataria
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India
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9
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Lukowicz-Bedford RM, Farnsworth DR, Miller AC. Connexinplexity: the spatial and temporal expression of connexin genes during vertebrate organogenesis. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac062. [PMID: 35325106 PMCID: PMC9073686 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animal development requires coordinated communication between cells. The Connexin family of proteins is a major contributor to intercellular communication in vertebrates by forming gap junction channels that facilitate the movement of ions, small molecules, and metabolites between cells. Additionally, individual hemichannels can provide a conduit to the extracellular space for paracrine and autocrine signaling. Connexin-mediated communication is widely used in epithelial, neural, and vascular development and homeostasis, and most tissues likely use this form of communication. In fact, Connexin disruptions are of major clinical significance contributing to disorders developing from all major germ layers. Despite the fact that Connexins serve as an essential mode of cellular communication, the temporal and cell-type-specific expression patterns of connexin genes remain unknown in vertebrates. A major challenge is the large and complex connexin gene family. To overcome this barrier, we determined the expression of all connexins in zebrafish using single-cell RNA-sequencing of entire animals across several stages of organogenesis. Our analysis of expression patterns has revealed that few connexins are broadly expressed, but rather, most are expressed in tissue- or cell-type-specific patterns. Additionally, most tissues possess a unique combinatorial signature of connexin expression with dynamic temporal changes across the organism, tissue, and cell. Our analysis has identified new patterns for well-known connexins and assigned spatial and temporal expression to genes with no-existing information. We provide a field guide relating zebrafish and human connexin genes as a critical step toward understanding how Connexins contribute to cellular communication and development throughout vertebrate organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan R Farnsworth
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Adam C Miller
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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10
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Kondo S, Watanabe M, Miyazawa S. Studies of Turing pattern formation in zebrafish skin. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2021; 379:20200274. [PMID: 34743596 PMCID: PMC8580470 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Skin patterns are the first example of the existence of Turing patterns in living organisms. Extensive research on zebrafish, a model organism with stripes on its skin, has revealed the principles of pattern formation at the molecular and cellular levels. Surprisingly, although the networks of cell-cell interactions have been observed to satisfy the 'short-range activation and long-range inhibition' prerequisites for Turing pattern formation, numerous individual reactions were not envisioned based on the classical reaction-diffusion model. For example, in real skin, it is not an alteration in concentrations of chemicals, but autonomous migration and proliferation of pigment cells that establish patterns, and cell-cell interactions are mediated via direct contact through cell protrusions. Therefore, the classical reaction-diffusion mechanism cannot be used as it is for modelling skin pattern formation. Various studies are underway to adapt mathematical models to the experimental findings on research into skin patterns, and the purpose of this review is to organize and present them. These novel theoretical methods could be applied to autonomous pattern formation phenomena other than skin patterns. This article is part of the theme issue 'Recent progress and open frontiers in Turing's theory of morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kondo
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Seita Miyazawa
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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11
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Eom DS, Patterson LB, Bostic RR, Parichy DM. Immunoglobulin superfamily receptor Junctional adhesion molecule 3 (Jam3) requirement for melanophore survival and patterning during formation of zebrafish stripes. Dev Biol 2021; 476:314-327. [PMID: 33933422 PMCID: PMC10069301 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adhesive interactions are essential for tissue patterning and morphogenesis yet difficult to study owing to functional redundancies across genes and gene families. A useful system in which to dissect roles for cell adhesion and adhesion-dependent signaling is the pattern formed by pigment cells in skin of adult zebrafish, in which stripes represent the arrangement of neural crest derived melanophores, cells homologous to melanocytes. In a forward genetic screen for adult pattern defects, we isolated the pissarro (psr) mutant, having a variegated phenotype of spots, as well as defects in adult fin and lens. We show that psr corresponds to junctional adhesion protein 3b (jam3b) encoding a zebrafish orthologue of the two immunoglobulin-like domain receptor JAM3 (JAM-C), known for roles in adhesion and signaling in other developing tissues, and for promoting metastatic behavior of human and murine melanoma cells. We found that zebrafish jam3b is expressed post-embryonically in a variety of cells including melanophores, and that jam3b mutants have defects in melanophore survival. Jam3b supported aggregation of cells in vitro and was required autonomously by melanophores for an adherent phenotype in vivo. Genetic analyses further indicated both overlapping and non-overlapping functions with the related receptor, Immunoglobulin superfamily 11 (Igsf11) and Kit receptor tyrosine kinase. These findings suggest a model for Jam3b function in zebrafish melanophores and hint at the complexity of adhesive interactions underlying pattern formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Seok Eom
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | | | - Raegan R Bostic
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - David M Parichy
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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12
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Usui Y, Watanabe M. Role of the Connexin C-terminus in skin pattern formation of Zebrafish. BBA ADVANCES 2021; 1:100006. [PMID: 37082017 PMCID: PMC10074918 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2021.100006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Zebrafish display a striped skin pattern on their body; two types of connexins, namely, Connexin39.4 (Cx39.4) and Connexin41.8 (Cx41.8), are involved in stripe pattern formation. Herein, we investigated the role of the C-terminal (CT) domains of Cx39.4 and Cx41.8 in vivo and in vitro. Methods To investigate the role of CT domains in vivo, we established transgenic zebrafish lines expressing the CT-domain-modified connexin series in pigmented cells and observed skin patterns in fish. To investigate the role of the CT domains in vitro, we expressed the CT-domain modified connexin series in Neuro-2a (N2a) cells and calculated the plaque formation frequency. Results The overexpression of Cx39.4 lacking a CT domain produced skin patterns similar to that produced by full-length Cx39.4 in the cx39.4 -/- mutant and in cx39.4 and cx41.8 double-knockout mutant zebrafish. Fluorescence-protein-fused CT-domain-modified Cx39.4 formed gap junction plaques between N2a cells. The overexpression of CT-truncated Cx41.8 rescued the mutant phenotype in the cx41.8 -/- mutant but did not function in the double knockout zebrafish. Fluorescence-protein-fused CT-truncated Cx41.8 hardly formed plaques between N2a cells without Cx39.4 but formed gap junction plaques when co-expressed with Cx39.4. Conclusions The CT domain of Cx39.4 is not required for protein function, at least in the pigment cells of zebrafish. However, the need for the CT domain of Cx41.8 depends on Cx39.4 expression. General significance These results provide evidence for the interactions between Cx39.4 and Cx41.8 in pigment cells of zebrafish and suggest that at least one connexin must have a CT domain.
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13
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Podobnik M, Frohnhöfer HG, Dooley CM, Eskova A, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Irion U. Evolution of the potassium channel gene Kcnj13 underlies colour pattern diversification in Danio fish. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6230. [PMID: 33277491 PMCID: PMC7718271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20021-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic basis of morphological variation provides a major topic in evolutionary developmental biology. Fish of the genus Danio display colour patterns ranging from horizontal stripes, to vertical bars or spots. Stripe formation in zebrafish, Danio rerio, is a self-organizing process based on cell-contact mediated interactions between three types of chromatophores with a leading role of iridophores. Here we investigate genes known to regulate chromatophore interactions in zebrafish that might have evolved to produce a pattern of vertical bars in its sibling species, Danio aesculapii. Mutant D. aesculapii indicate a lower complexity in chromatophore interactions and a minor role of iridophores in patterning. Reciprocal hemizygosity tests identify the potassium channel gene obelix/Kcnj13 as evolved between the two species. Complementation tests suggest evolutionary change through divergence in Kcnj13 function in two additional Danio species. Thus, our results point towards repeated and independent evolution of this gene during colour pattern diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Podobnik
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans Georg Frohnhöfer
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christopher M Dooley
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Anastasia Eskova
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- IBM Research and Development, Schönaicher Straße 220, 71032, Böblingen, Germany
| | | | - Uwe Irion
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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14
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Li A, Zhou J, Widelitz RB, Chow RH, Chuong CM. Integrating Bioelectrical Currents and Ca 2+ Signaling with Biochemical Signaling in Development and Pathogenesis. Bioelectricity 2020; 2:210-220. [PMID: 34476353 PMCID: PMC8370337 DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2020.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Roles of bioelectrical signals are increasingly recognized in excitable and nonexcitable non-neural tissues. Diverse ion-selective channels, pumps, and gap junctions participate in bioelectrical signaling, including those transporting calcium ions (Ca2+). Ca2+ is the most versatile transported ion, because it serves as an electrical charge carrier and a biochemical regulator for multiple molecular binding, enzyme, and transcription activities. We aspire to learn how bioelectrical signals crosstalk to biochemical/biomechanical signals. In this study, we review four recent studies showing how bioelectrical currents and Ca2+ signaling affect collective dermal cell migration during feather bud elongation, affect chondrogenic differentiation in limb development, couple with mechanical tension in aligning gut smooth muscle, and affect mitochondrial function and skeletal muscle atrophy. We observe bioelectrical signals involved in several developmental and pathological conditions in chickens and mice at multiple spatial scales: cellular, cellular collective, and subcellular. These examples inspire novel concept and approaches for future basic and translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Li
- Department of Kinesiology, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Jingsong Zhou
- Department of Kinesiology, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Randall B. Widelitz
- Department of Pathology and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Robert H. Chow
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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15
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Volkening A. Linking genotype, cell behavior, and phenotype: multidisciplinary perspectives with a basis in zebrafish patterns. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 63:78-85. [PMID: 32604031 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish are characterized by dark and light stripes, but mutants display a rich variety of altered patterns. These patterns arise from the interactions of brightly colored pigment cells, making zebrafish a self-organization problem. The diversity of patterns present in zebrafish and other emerging fish models provides an excellent system for elucidating how genes, cell behavior, and visible animal characteristics are related. With the goal of highlighting how experimental and mathematical approaches can be used to link these scales, I overview current descriptions of zebrafish patterning, describe advances in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying cell communication, and discuss new work that moves beyond zebrafish to explore patterning in evolutionary relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Volkening
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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16
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Kon T, Omori Y, Fukuta K, Wada H, Watanabe M, Chen Z, Iwasaki M, Mishina T, Matsuzaki SIS, Yoshihara D, Arakawa J, Kawakami K, Toyoda A, Burgess SM, Noguchi H, Furukawa T. The Genetic Basis of Morphological Diversity in Domesticated Goldfish. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2260-2274.e6. [PMID: 32392470 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Although domesticated goldfish strains exhibit highly diversified phenotypes in morphology, the genetic basis underlying these phenotypes is poorly understood. Here, based on analysis of transposable elements in the allotetraploid goldfish genome, we found that its two subgenomes have evolved asymmetrically since a whole-genome duplication event in the ancestor of goldfish and common carp. We conducted whole-genome sequencing of 27 domesticated goldfish strains and wild goldfish. We identified more than 60 million genetic variations and established a population genetic structure of major goldfish strains. Genome-wide association studies and analysis of strain-specific variants revealed genetic loci associated with several goldfish phenotypes, including dorsal fin loss, long-tail, telescope-eye, albinism, and heart-shaped tail. Our results suggest that accumulated mutations in the asymmetrically evolved subgenomes led to generation of diverse phenotypes in the goldfish domestication history. This study is a key resource for understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity among goldfish strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Kon
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Omori
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Kentaro Fukuta
- Center for Genome Informatics, Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Hironori Wada
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Laboratory of Pattern Formation, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka
| | - Zelin Chen
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miki Iwasaki
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tappei Mishina
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | | | - Daiki Yoshihara
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Jumpei Arakawa
- Yatomi Station, Aichi Fisheries Research Institute, Yatomi, Aichi, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, and Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Shawn M Burgess
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hideki Noguchi
- Center for Genome Informatics, Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan; Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takahisa Furukawa
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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17
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Volkening A, Abbott MR, Chandra N, Dubois B, Lim F, Sexton D, Sandstede B. Modeling Stripe Formation on Growing Zebrafish Tailfins. Bull Math Biol 2020; 82:56. [PMID: 32356149 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-020-00731-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
As zebrafish develop, black and gold stripes form across their skin due to the interactions of brightly colored pigment cells. These characteristic patterns emerge on the growing fish body, as well as on the anal and caudal fins. While wild-type stripes form parallel to a horizontal marker on the body, patterns on the tailfin gradually extend distally outward. Interestingly, several mutations lead to altered body patterns without affecting fin stripes. Through an exploratory modeling approach, our goal is to help better understand these differences between body and fin patterns. By adapting a prior agent-based model of cell interactions on the fish body, we present an in silico study of stripe development on tailfins. Our main result is a demonstration that two cell types can produce stripes on the caudal fin. We highlight several ways that bone rays, growth, and the body-fin interface may be involved in patterning, and we raise questions for future work related to pattern robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Volkening
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - M R Abbott
- Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - N Chandra
- Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - B Dubois
- Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - F Lim
- Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - D Sexton
- Department of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - B Sandstede
- Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Data Science Initiative, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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18
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Patterson LB, Parichy DM. Zebrafish Pigment Pattern Formation: Insights into the Development and Evolution of Adult Form. Annu Rev Genet 2019; 53:505-530. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-112618-043741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate pigment patterns are diverse and fascinating adult traits that allow animals to recognize conspecifics, attract mates, and avoid predators. Pigment patterns in fish are among the most amenable traits for studying the cellular basis of adult form, as the cells that produce diverse patterns are readily visible in the skin during development. The genetic basis of pigment pattern development has been most studied in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Zebrafish adults have alternating dark and light horizontal stripes, resulting from the precise arrangement of three main classes of pigment cells: black melanophores, yellow xanthophores, and iridescent iridophores. The coordination of adult pigment cell lineage specification and differentiation with specific cellular interactions and morphogenetic behaviors is necessary for stripe development. Besides providing a nice example of pattern formation responsible for an adult trait of zebrafish, stripe-forming mechanisms also provide a conceptual framework for posing testable hypotheses about pattern diversification more broadly. Here, we summarize what is known about lineages and molecular interactions required for pattern formation in zebrafish, we review some of what is known about pattern diversification in Danio, and we speculate on how patterns in more distant teleosts may have evolved to produce a stunningly diverse array of patterns in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David M. Parichy
- Department of Biology and Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA
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19
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Irion U, Nüsslein-Volhard C. The identification of genes involved in the evolution of color patterns in fish. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2019; 57:31-38. [PMID: 31421397 PMCID: PMC6838669 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The genetic basis of morphological variation, both within and between species, provides a major topic in evolutionary biology. Teleost fish produce most elaborate color patterns, and among the more than 20000 species a number have been chosen for more detailed analyses because they are suitable to study particular aspects of color pattern evolution. In several fish species, color variants and pattern variants have been collected, transcriptome analyses have been carried out, and the recent advent of gene editing tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9, has allowed the production of mutants. Covering mostly the literature from the last three years, we discuss the cellular basis of coloration and the identification of loci involved in color pattern differences between sister species in cichlids and Danio species, in which cis-regulatory changes seem to prevail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Irion
- Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
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20
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Inaba M, Jiang TX, Liang YC, Tsai S, Lai YC, Widelitz RB, Chuong CM. Instructive role of melanocytes during pigment pattern formation of the avian skin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:6884-6890. [PMID: 30886106 PMCID: PMC6452743 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816107116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal skin pigment patterns are excellent models to study the mechanism of biological self-organization. Theoretical approaches developed mathematical models of pigment patterning and molecular genetics have brought progress; however, the responsible cellular mechanism is not fully understood. One long unsolved controversy is whether the patterning information is autonomously determined by melanocytes or nonautonomously determined from the environment. Here, we transplanted purified melanocytes and demonstrated that melanocytes could form periodic pigment patterns cell autonomously. Results of heterospecific transplantation among quail strains are consistent with this finding. Further, we observe that developing melanocytes directly connect with each other via filopodia to form a network in culture and in vivo. This melanocyte network is reminiscent of zebrafish pigment cell networks, where connexin is implicated in stripe formation via genetic studies. Indeed, we found connexin40 (cx40) present on developing melanocytes in birds. Stripe patterns can form in quail skin explant cultures. Several calcium channel modulators can enhance or suppress pigmentation globally, but a gap junction inhibitor can change stripe patterning. Most interestingly, in ovo, misexpression of dominant negative cx40 expands the black region, while overexpression of cx40 expands the yellow region. Subsequently, melanocytes instruct adjacent dermal cells to express agouti signaling protein (ASIP), the regulatory factor for pigment switching, which promotes pheomelanin production. Thus, we demonstrate Japanese quail melanocytes have an autonomous periodic patterning role during body pigment stripe formation. We also show dermal agouti stripes and how the coupling of melanocytes with dermal cells may confer stable and distinct pigment stripe patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masafumi Inaba
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Ting-Xin Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Ya-Chen Liang
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, 40447 Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Stephanie Tsai
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
- Graduate School of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University, 100 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chih Lai
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, 40447 Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Randall Bruce Widelitz
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Cheng Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033;
- Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, 40447 Taichung, Taiwan
- Center for the Integrative and Evolutionary Galliformes Genomics, National Chung Hsing University, 40227 Taichung, Taiwan
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21
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Denis JF, Diagbouga MR, Molica F, Hautefort A, Linnerz T, Watanabe M, Lemeille S, Bertrand JY, Kwak BR. KLF4-Induced Connexin40 Expression Contributes to Arterial Endothelial Quiescence. Front Physiol 2019; 10:80. [PMID: 30809154 PMCID: PMC6379456 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Shear stress, a blood flow-induced frictional force, is essential in the control of endothelial cell (EC) homeostasis. High laminar shear stress (HLSS), as observed in straight parts of arteries, assures a quiescent non-activated endothelium through the induction of Krüppel-like transcription factors (KLFs). Connexin40 (Cx40)-mediated gap junctional communication is known to contribute to a healthy endothelium by propagating anti-inflammatory signals between ECs, however, the molecular basis of the transcriptional regulation of Cx40 as well as its downstream effectors remain poorly understood. Here, we show that flow-induced KLF4 regulated Cx40 expression in a mouse EC line. Chromatin immunoprecipitation in ECs revealed that KLF4 bound to three predicted KLF consensus binding sites in the Cx40 promoter. HLSS-dependent induction of Cx40 expression was confirmed in primary human ECs. The downstream effects of Cx40 modulation in ECs exposed to HLSS were elucidated by an unbiased transcriptomics approach. Cell cycle progression was identified as an important downstream target of Cx40 under HLSS. In agreement, an increase in the proportion of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive ECs and a decrease in the proportion of ECs in the G0/G1 phase were observed under HLSS after Cx40 silencing. Transfection of communication-incompetent HeLa cells with Cx40 demonstrated that the regulation of proliferation by Cx40 was not limited to ECs. Using a zebrafish model, we finally showed faster intersegmental vessel growth and branching into the dorsal longitudinal anastomotic vessel in embryos knock-out for the Cx40 orthologs Cx41.8 and Cx45.6. Most significant effects were observed in embryos with a mutant Cx41.8 encoding for a channel with reduced gap junctional function. Faster intersegmental vessel growth in Cx41.8 mutant embryos was associated with increased EC proliferation as assessed by PH3 immunostaining. Our data shows a novel evolutionary-conserved role of flow-driven KLF4-dependent Cx40 expression in endothelial quiescence that may be relevant for the control of atherosclerosis and diseases involving sprouting angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Denis
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Filippo Molica
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Hautefort
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Linnerz
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Sylvain Lemeille
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Julien Y Bertrand
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Brenda R Kwak
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Medical Specializations - Cardiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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22
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Usui Y, Aramaki T, Kondo S, Watanabe M. The minimal gap-junction network among melanophores and xanthophores required for stripe-pattern formation in zebrafish. Development 2019; 146:dev.181065. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.181065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Connexin39.4 (Cx39.4) and Connexin41.8 (Cx41.8), two gap-junction proteins expressed in both melanophores and xanthophores, are critical for the intercellular communication among pigment cells that is necessary for generating the stripe pigment pattern of zebrafish. We previously characterized the gap-junction properties of Cx39.4 and Cx41.8, but how these proteins contribute to stripe formation remains unclear; this is because distinct types of connexins potentially form heteromeric gap junctions, which precludes accurate elucidation of individual connexin functions in vivo. Here, by arranging Cx39.4 and Cx41.8 expression in pigment cells, we identified the simplest gap-junction network required for stripe generation: Cx39.4 expression in melanophores is required but expression in xanthophores is not necessary for stripe patterning, whereas Cx41.8 expression in xanthophores is sufficient for the patterning, and Cx41.8 expression in melanophores might stabilize the stripes. Moreover, patch-clamp recordings revealed that Cx39.4 gap junctions exhibit spermidine-dependent rectification property. Our results suggest that Cx39.4 facilitates the critical cell-cell interactions between melanophores and xanthophores that mediate a unidirectional activation-signal transfer from xanthophores to melanophores, which is essential for melanophore survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuu Usui
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Aramaki
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kondo
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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23
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Volkening A, Sandstede B. Iridophores as a source of robustness in zebrafish stripes and variability in Danio patterns. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3231. [PMID: 30104716 PMCID: PMC6089994 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05629-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) feature black and yellow stripes, while related Danios display different patterns. All these patterns form due to the interactions of pigment cells, which self-organize on the fish skin. Until recently, research focused on two cell types (melanophores and xanthophores), but newer work has uncovered the leading role of a third type, iridophores: by carefully orchestrated transitions in form, iridophores instruct the other cells, but little is known about what drives their form changes. Here we address this question from a mathematical perspective: we develop a model (based on known interactions between the original two cell types) that allows us to assess potential iridophore behavior. We identify a set of mechanisms governing iridophore form that is consistent across a range of empirical data. Our model also suggests that the complex cues iridophores receive may act as a key source of redundancy, enabling both robust patterning and variability within Danio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Volkening
- Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, 182 George Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
- Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Björn Sandstede
- Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, 182 George Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
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24
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Chanson M, Watanabe M, O'Shaughnessy EM, Zoso A, Martin PE. Connexin Communication Compartments and Wound Repair in Epithelial Tissue. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051354. [PMID: 29751558 PMCID: PMC5983803 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial tissues line the lumen of tracts and ducts connecting to the external environment. They are critical in forming an interface between the internal and external environment and, following assault from environmental factors and pathogens, they must rapidly repair to maintain cellular homeostasis. These tissue networks, that range from a single cell layer, such as in airway epithelium, to highly stratified and differentiated epithelial surfaces, such as the epidermis, are held together by a junctional nexus of proteins including adherens, tight and gap junctions, often forming unique and localised communication compartments activated for localised tissue repair. This review focuses on the dynamic changes that occur in connexins, the constituent proteins of the intercellular gap junction channel, during wound-healing processes and in localised inflammation, with an emphasis on the lung and skin. Current developments in targeting connexins as corrective therapies to improve wound closure and resolve localised inflammation are also discussed. Finally, we consider the emergence of the zebrafish as a concerted whole-animal model to study, visualise and track the events of wound repair and regeneration in real-time living model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Chanson
- Department of Pediatrics and Cell Physiology & Metabolism, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Erin M O'Shaughnessy
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK.
| | - Alice Zoso
- Department of Pediatrics and Cell Physiology & Metabolism, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Patricia E Martin
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK.
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25
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Further characterisation of differences between TL and AB zebrafish (Danio rerio): Gene expression, physiology and behaviour at day 5 of the larval stage. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175420. [PMID: 28419104 PMCID: PMC5395159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have become popular as model organism in research. Many strains are readily available, which not only differ morphologically, but also genetically, physiologically and behaviourally. Here, we focus on the AB and Tupfel long-fin (TL) strain for which we have previously shown that adults differ in baseline hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI)-axis activity (AB higher than TL) affecting inhibitory avoidance behaviour (absent in AB). To assess whether strain differences are already present in early life stages, we compared baseline HPI-axis related gene expression as well as cortisol levels, (neuro)development related as well as (innate) immune system related gene expression, and light-dark as well as startle behaviour in larvae 5 days post fertilisation. The data show that AB and TL larvae differ in baseline HPI-axis activity (AB higher than TL), expression of (neuro)development and immune system related genes (AB higher than TL), habituation to acoustic/vibrational stimuli (AB habituate faster than TL) and light-dark induced changes in motor behaviour (AB stronger than TL). Our data show that already in larval stages differences exist between zebrafish of the AB and TL strain confirming and extending data of earlier studies. To what extent the mutation in connexin 41.8, leading to spots rather than stripes in TL, but also (possibly) affecting eye, heart and brain function, is involved in the expression of (some of) these differences needs to be studied. These results emphasise that differences between strains need to be taken into account to enhance reproducibility both within, and between, laboratories.
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26
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Watanabe M. Gap Junction in the Teleost Fish Lineage: Duplicated Connexins May Contribute to Skin Pattern Formation and Body Shape Determination. Front Cell Dev Biol 2017; 5:13. [PMID: 28271062 PMCID: PMC5318405 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2017.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junctions are intercellular channels that allow passage of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells. Gap junctions in vertebrates are composed of connexons, which are an assembly of six proteins, connexins. Docking of two connexons on the opposite cell surfaces forms a gap junction between the cytoplasm of two neighboring cells. Connexins compose a family of structurally related four-pass transmembrane proteins. In mammals, there are ~20 connexins, each of which contributes to unique permeability of gap junctions, and mutations of some connexin-encoding genes are associated with human diseases. Zebrafish has been predicted to contain 39 connexin-encoding genes; the high number can be attributed to gene duplication during fish evolution, which resulted in diversified functions of gap junctions in teleosts. The determination of body shapes and skin patterns in animal species is an intriguing question. Mathematical models suggest principle mechanisms explaining the diversification of animal morphology. Recent studies have revealed the involvement of gap junctions in fish morphological diversity, including skin pattern formation and body shape determination. This review focuses on connexins in teleosts, which are integrated in the mathematical models explaining morphological diversity of animal skin patterns and body shapes.
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27
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Mahalwar P, Singh AP, Fadeev A, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Irion U. Heterotypic interactions regulate cell shape and density during color pattern formation in zebrafish. Biol Open 2016; 5:1680-1690. [PMID: 27742608 PMCID: PMC5155543 DOI: 10.1242/bio.022251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The conspicuous striped coloration of zebrafish is produced by cell-cell interactions among three different types of chromatophores: black melanophores, orange/yellow xanthophores and silvery/blue iridophores. During color pattern formation xanthophores undergo dramatic cell shape transitions and acquire different densities, leading to compact and orange xanthophores at high density in the light stripes, and stellate, faintly pigmented xanthophores at low density in the dark stripes. Here, we investigate the mechanistic basis of these cell behaviors in vivo, and show that local, heterotypic interactions with dense iridophores regulate xanthophore cell shape transition and density. Genetic analysis reveals a cell-autonomous requirement of gap junctions composed of Cx41.8 and Cx39.4 in xanthophores for their iridophore-dependent cell shape transition and increase in density in light-stripe regions. Initial melanophore-xanthophore interactions are independent of these gap junctions; however, subsequently they are also required to induce the acquisition of stellate shapes in xanthophores of the dark stripes. In summary, we conclude that, whereas homotypic interactions regulate xanthophore coverage in the skin, their cell shape transitions and density is regulated by gap junction-mediated, heterotypic interactions with iridophores and melanophores. Summary: The conspicuous pigmentation pattern of zebrafish is produced by three kinds of interacting pigment cells. Here we address the cellular consequences of these interactions in wild-type fish and mutants with altered pigment patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateek Mahalwar
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Ajeet Pratap Singh
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Andrey Fadeev
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Uwe Irion
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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28
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Frohnhöfer HG, Geiger-Rudolph S, Pattky M, Meixner M, Huhn C, Maischein HM, Geisler R, Gehring I, Maderspacher F, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Irion U. Spermidine, but not spermine, is essential for pigment pattern formation in zebrafish. Biol Open 2016; 5:736-44. [PMID: 27215328 PMCID: PMC4920196 DOI: 10.1242/bio.018721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyamines are small poly-cations essential for all cellular life. The main polyamines present in metazoans are putrescine, spermidine and spermine. Their exact functions are still largely unclear; however, they are involved in a wide variety of processes affecting cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis and aging. Here we identify idefix, a mutation in the zebrafish gene encoding the enzyme spermidine synthase, leading to a severe reduction in spermidine levels as shown by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. We show that spermidine, but not spermine, is essential for early development, organogenesis and colour pattern formation. Whereas in other vertebrates spermidine deficiency leads to very early embryonic lethality, maternally provided spermidine synthase in zebrafish is sufficient to rescue the early developmental defects. This allows us to uncouple them from events occurring later during colour patterning. Factors involved in the cellular interactions essential for colour patterning, likely targets for spermidine, are the gap junction components Cx41.8, Cx39.4, and Kir7.1, an inwardly rectifying potassium channel, all known to be regulated by polyamines. Thus, zebrafish provide a vertebrate model to study the in vivo effects of polyamines. Summary: We show that the polyamine spermidine, but not spermine, in addition to more general functions during early development, also specifically regulates colour pattern formation in adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Georg Frohnhöfer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Silke Geiger-Rudolph
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Martin Pattky
- Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Martin Meixner
- Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Carolin Huhn
- Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Maischein
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Robert Geisler
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Ines Gehring
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Florian Maderspacher
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Uwe Irion
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Abteilung 3, Spemannstrasse 35, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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