1
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Garcia-Olazabal M, Adolfi MC, Wilde B, Hufnagel A, Paudel R, Lu Y, Meierjohann S, Rosenthal GG, Schartl M. Functional Test of a Naturally Occurred Tumor Modifier Gene Provides Insights to Melanoma Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.14.567049. [PMID: 38895428 PMCID: PMC11185518 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Occurrence of degenerative interactions is thought to serve as a mechanism underlying hybrid unfitness. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the genetic interaction and how they contribute to overall hybrid incompatibilities are limited to only a handful of examples. A vertebrate model organism, Xiphophorus , is used to study hybrid dysfunction and it has been shown from this model that diseases, such as melanoma, can occur in certain interspecies hybrids. Melanoma development is due to hybrid inheritance of an oncogene, xmrk , and loss of a co-evolved tumor modifier. It was recently found that adgre5 , a G protein-coupled receptor involved in cell adhesion, is a tumor regulator gene in naturally hybridizing Xiphophorus species X. birchmanni and X. malinche . We hypothesized that one of the two parental alleles of adgre5 is involved in regulation of cell proliferation, migration and melanomagenesis. Accordingly, we assessed the function of adgre5 alleles from each parental species of the melanoma-bearing hybrids using in vitro cell proliferation and migration assays. In addition, we expressed each adgre5 allele with the xmrk oncogene in transgenic medaka. We found that cells transfected with the X. birchmanni adgre5 exhibited decreased proliferation and migration compared to those with the X. malinche allele. Moreover, X. birchmanni allele of adgre5 completely inhibited melanoma development in xmrk transgenic medaka, while X. malinche adgre5 expression did not exhibit melanoma suppressive activity in medaka. These findings showed that adgre5 is a natural melanoma suppressor and provide new insight in melanoma etiology.
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2
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Bai J, Wei X. Identification of teleost tnnc1a enhancers for specific pan-cardiac transcription. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582099. [PMID: 38464177 PMCID: PMC10925198 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Troponin C regulates muscle contraction by forming the troponin complex with troponin I and troponin T. Different muscle types express different troponin C genes. The mechanisms of such differential transcription are not fully understood. The Zebrafish tnnc1a gene is restrictively expressed in cardiac muscles. We here identify the enhancers and promoters of the zebrafish and medaka tnnc1a genes, including intronic enhancers in zebrafish and medaka and an upstream enhancer in the medaka. The intronic and upstream enhancers are likely functionally redundant. The GFP transgenic reporter driven by these enhancers is expressed more strongly in the ventricle than in the atrium, recapitulating the expression pattern of the endogenous zebrafish tnnc1a gene. Our study identifies a new set of enhancers for cardiac-specific transgenic expression in zebrafish. These enhancers can serve as tools for future identification of transcription factor networks that drive cardiac-specific gene transcription.
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3
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Gui Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Chen X, Wang F, Wu F, Gui Y, Li Q. The functional verification and analysis of Fugu promoter of cardiac gene tnni1a in zebrafish. Cells Dev 2022; 171:203801. [PMID: 35787465 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2022.203801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Troponin I type 1b (Tnni1b) is thought to be a novel isoform that is expressed only in the zebrafish heart. Knocking down of tnni1b can lead to cardiac defects in zebrafish. Although both the zebrafish tnni1b and human troponin I1 (TNNI1) genes are thought to be closely associated with fatal cardiac development, the regulatory molecular mechanisms of these genes are poorly understood. Analyzing the functionally conserved sequence, especially in the noncoding regulatory region involved in gene expression, clarified these mechanisms. In this study, we isolated a 3 kb fragment upstream of Fugu tnni1a that can regulate green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression in a heart-specific manner, similar to the pattern of zebrafish homologue expression. Three evolutionarily conserved regions (ECRs) in the 5'-flanking sequence of Fugu tnni1a were identified by sequence alignment. Deletion analysis led to the identification of ECR2 as a core sequence that affects the heart-specific expression function of the Fugu tnni1a promoter. Interestingly, both the Fugu tnni1a promoter and ECR2 sequence were functionally conserved in zebrafish, although they shared no sequence similarity. Together, the findings of our study provided further evidence for the important role of tnni1a homologous in cardiac development and demonstrated that two functionally conserved sequences in the zebrafish and Fugu genomes may be ECRs, despite their lack of similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Gui
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China; Cardiovascular Center, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Fudan University, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Yawen Zhang
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China; Cardiovascular Center, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Fudan University, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xudong Chen
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China; Cardiovascular Center, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Fudan University, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Fang Wu
- Department of Neonatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Yonghao Gui
- Cardiovascular Center, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Fudan University, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China.
| | - Qiang Li
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China.
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4
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Moreno-Mármol T, Ledesma-Terrón M, Tabanera N, Martin-Bermejo MJ, Cardozo MJ, Cavodeassi F, Bovolenta P. Stretching of the retinal pigment epithelium contributes to zebrafish optic cup morphogenesis. eLife 2021; 10:63396. [PMID: 34545806 PMCID: PMC8530511 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate eye primordium consists of a pseudostratified neuroepithelium, the optic vesicle (OV), in which cells acquire neural retina or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) fates. As these fates arise, the OV assumes a cup shape, influenced by mechanical forces generated within the neural retina. Whether the RPE passively adapts to retinal changes or actively contributes to OV morphogenesis remains unexplored. We generated a zebrafish Tg(E1-bhlhe40:GFP) line to track RPE morphogenesis and interrogate its participation in OV folding. We show that, in virtual absence of proliferation, RPE cells stretch and flatten, thereby matching the retinal curvature and promoting OV folding. Localized interference with the RPE cytoskeleton disrupts tissue stretching and OV folding. Thus, extreme RPE flattening and accelerated differentiation are efficient solutions adopted by fast-developing species to enable timely optic cup formation. This mechanism differs in amniotes, in which proliferation drives RPE expansion with a much-reduced need of cell flattening. Rounded eyeballs help to optimize vision – but how do they acquire their distinctive shape? In animals with backbones, including humans, the eye begins to form early in development. A single layer of embryonic tissue called the optic vesicle reorganizes itself into a two-layered structure: a thin outer layer of cells, known as the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE for short), and a thicker inner layer called the neural retina. If this process fails, the animal may be born blind or visually impaired. How this flat two-layered structure becomes round is still being investigated. In fish, studies have shown that the inner cell layer – the neural retina – generates mechanical forces that cause the developing tissue to curve inwards to form a cup-like shape. But it was unclear whether the outer layer of cells (the RPE) also contributed to this process. Moreno-Marmol et al. were able to investigate this question by genetically modifying zebrafish to make all new RPE cells fluoresce. Following the early development of the zebrafish eye under a microscope revealed that RPE cells flattened themselves into long thin structures that stretched to cover the entire neural retina. This change was made possible by the cell’s internal skeleton reorganizing. In fact, preventing this reorganization stopped the RPE cells from flattening, and precluded the optic cup from acquiring its curved shape. The results thus confirmed a direct role for the RPE in generating curvature. The entire process did not require the RPE to produce new cells, allowing the curved shape to emerge in just a few hours. This is a major advantage for fast-developing species such as zebrafish. In species whose embryos develop more slowly, such as mice and humans, the RPE instead grows by producing additional cells – a process that takes many days. The development of the eye thus shows how various species use different evolutionary approaches to achieve a common goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Moreno-Mármol
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Ledesma-Terrón
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemi Tabanera
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Jesús Martin-Bermejo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos J Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Florencia Cavodeassi
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
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5
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Baggiolini A, Callahan SJ, Montal E, Weiss JM, Trieu T, Tagore MM, Tischfield SE, Walsh RM, Suresh S, Fan Y, Campbell NR, Perlee SC, Saurat N, Hunter MV, Simon-Vermot T, Huang TH, Ma Y, Hollmann T, Tickoo SK, Taylor BS, Khurana E, Koche RP, Studer L, White RM. Developmental chromatin programs determine oncogenic competence in melanoma. Science 2021; 373:eabc1048. [PMID: 34516843 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Baggiolini
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Scott J Callahan
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Gerstner Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emily Montal
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joshua M Weiss
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tuan Trieu
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohita M Tagore
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sam E Tischfield
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ryan M Walsh
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shruthy Suresh
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yujie Fan
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathaniel R Campbell
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sarah C Perlee
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Gerstner Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathalie Saurat
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miranda V Hunter
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Theresa Simon-Vermot
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ting-Hsiang Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yilun Ma
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Travis Hollmann
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Satish K Tickoo
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Barry S Taylor
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ekta Khurana
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard P Koche
- Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lorenz Studer
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Gerstner Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Richard M White
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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6
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Raja DA, Subramaniam Y, Aggarwal A, Gotherwal V, Babu A, Tanwar J, Motiani RK, Sivasubbu S, Gokhale RS, Natarajan VT. Histone variant dictates fate biasing of neural crest cells to melanocyte lineage. Development 2020; 147:dev.182576. [PMID: 32098766 DOI: 10.1242/dev.182576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the neural crest lineage, progressive fate restriction and stem cell assignment are crucial for both development and regeneration. Whereas fate commitment events have distinct transcriptional footprints, fate biasing is often transitory and metastable, and is thought to be moulded by epigenetic programmes. Therefore, the molecular basis of specification is difficult to define. In this study, we established a role for a histone variant, H2a.z.2, in specification of the melanocyte lineage from multipotent neural crest cells. H2a.z.2 silencing reduces the number of melanocyte precursors in developing zebrafish embryos and from mouse embryonic stem cells in vitro We demonstrate that this histone variant occupies nucleosomes in the promoter of the key melanocyte determinant mitf, and enhances its induction. CRISPR/Cas9-based targeted mutagenesis of this gene in zebrafish drastically reduces adult melanocytes, as well as their regeneration. Thereby, our study establishes the role of a histone variant upstream of the core gene regulatory network in the neural crest lineage. This epigenetic mark is a key determinant of cell fate and facilitates gene activation by external instructive signals, thereby establishing melanocyte fate identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desingu Ayyappa Raja
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Yogaspoorthi Subramaniam
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Ayush Aggarwal
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Vishvabandhu Gotherwal
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Aswini Babu
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Jyoti Tanwar
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Rajender K Motiani
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Sridhar Sivasubbu
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Rajesh S Gokhale
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Vivek T Natarajan
- Pigment Cell Biology Group, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India .,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
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7
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The extracellular and intracellular regions of Crb2a play distinct roles in guiding the formation of the apical zonula adherens. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 125:109942. [PMID: 32044715 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.109942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane protein Crumbs (Crb), a key regulator of apical polarity, has a known involvement in establishment of the apical zonula adherens in epithelia, although the precise mechanism remains elusive. The zonula adherens are required to maintain the integrity and orderly arrangement of epithelia. Loss of the zonula adherens leads to morphogenetic defects in the tissues derived from epithelium. In this study, we revealed that the intracellular tail of Crb2a promoted the apical distribution of adherens junctions (AJs) in zebrafish retinal and lens epithelia, but caused assembly into unstable punctum adherens-like adhesion plaques. The extracellular region of Crb2a guided the transformation of AJs from the punctum adherens into stable zonula adherens. Accordingly, a truncated form of Crb2a lacking the extracellular region (Crb2aΔEX) could only partially rescue the retinal patterning defects in crb2a null mutant zebrafish (crb2am289). By contrast, constitutive over-expression of Crb2aΔEX disrupted the integrity of the outer limiting membrane in photoreceptors, which is derived from the zonula adherens of the retinal neuroepithelium. This study demonstrated that both the extracellular region and the intracellular tail of Crb2a are required to guide the formation of the apical zonula adherens.
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8
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Raja DA, Gotherwal V, Burse SA, Subramaniam YJ, Sultan F, Vats A, Gautam H, Sharma B, Sharma S, Singh A, Sivasubbu S, Gokhale RS, Natarajan VT. pH-controlled histone acetylation amplifies melanocyte differentiation downstream of MITF. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e48333. [PMID: 31709752 PMCID: PMC6945066 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tanning response and melanocyte differentiation are mediated by the central transcription factor MITF. This involves the rapid and selective induction of melanocyte maturation genes, while concomitantly the expression of other effector genes is maintained. In this study, using cell-based and zebrafish model systems, we report on a pH-mediated feed-forward mechanism of epigenetic regulation that enables selective amplification of the melanocyte maturation program. We demonstrate that MITF activation directly elevates the expression of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase 14 (CA14). Nuclear localization of CA14 leads to an increase of the intracellular pH, resulting in the activation of the histone acetyl transferase p300/CBP. In turn, enhanced H3K27 histone acetylation at selected differentiation genes facilitates their amplified expression via MITF. CRISPR-mediated targeted missense mutation of CA14 in zebrafish results in the formation of immature acidic melanocytes with decreased pigmentation, establishing a central role for this mechanism during melanocyte differentiation in vivo. Thus, we describe an epigenetic control system via pH modulation that reinforces cell fate determination by altering chromatin dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desingu Ayyappa Raja
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | - Vishvabandhu Gotherwal
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | - Shaunak A Burse
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | - Yogaspoorthi J Subramaniam
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | - Farina Sultan
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | - Archana Vats
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Hemlata Gautam
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Babita Sharma
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | - Sachin Sharma
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
- Present address:
National Institute of ImmunologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Archana Singh
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
| | | | - Rajesh S Gokhale
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Present address:
National Institute of ImmunologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Vivek T Natarajan
- CSIR‐Institute of Genomics and Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchTaramani, Chennai
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9
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Liu L, Fu M, Pei S, Zhou L, Shang J. R-Fluoxetine Increases Melanin Synthesis Through a 5-HT1A/2A Receptor and p38 MAPK Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010080. [PMID: 30585252 PMCID: PMC6337216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluoxetine, a member of the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, is a racemic mixture and has an anxiolytic effect in rodents. Previously, we have shown that fluoxetine can up-regulate melanin synthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells and normal human melanocytes (NMHM). However, the role of r-fluoxetine and s-fluoxetine, in the regulation of melanin synthesis, is still unknown. Here, we show how r-fluoxetine plays a critical role in fluoxetine enhancing melanogenesis, both in vivo and vitro, by up-regulating tyrosinase (TYR) and the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) expression, whereas, s-fluoxetine does not show any effect in the vivo and vitro systems. In addition, we found that r-fluoxetine induced melanin synthesis through the serotonin1A receptor (5-HT1A) and serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A). Furthermore, r-fluoxetine increased the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), without affecting the phosphorylation of extracellularly responsive kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). These data suggest that r-fluoxetine may be used as a drug for skin hypopigmentation disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Mengsi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Siran Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Liangliang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Jing Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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10
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Hoover M, Runa F, Booker E, Diedrich JK, Duell E, Williams B, Arellano-Garcia C, Uhlendorf T, La Kim S, Fischer W, Moresco J, Gray PC, Kelber JA. Identification of myosin II as a cripto binding protein and regulator of cripto function in stem cells and tissue regeneration. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 509:69-75. [PMID: 30579599 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.12.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cripto regulates stem cell function in normal and disease contexts via TGFbeta/activin/nodal, PI3K/Akt, MAPK and Wnt signaling. Still, the molecular mechanisms that govern these pleiotropic functions of Cripto remain poorly understood. We performed an unbiased screen for novel Cripto binding proteins using proteomics-based methods, and identified novel proteins including members of myosin II complexes, the actin cytoskeleton, the cellular stress response, and extracellular exosomes. We report that myosin II, and upstream ROCK1/2 activities are required for localization of Cripto to cytoplasm/membrane domains and its subsequent release into the conditioned media fraction of cultured cells. Functionally, we demonstrate that soluble Cripto (one-eyed pinhead in zebrafish) promotes proliferation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and stem cell-mediated wound healing in the zebrafish caudal fin model of regeneration. Notably, we demonstrate that both Cripto and myosin II inhibitors attenuated regeneration to a similar degree and in a non-additive manner. Taken together, our data present a novel role for myosin II function in regulating subcellular Cripto localization and function in stem cells and an important regulatory mechanism of tissue regeneration. Importantly, these insights may further the development of context-dependent Cripto agonists and antagonists for therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malachia Hoover
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Evan Booker
- Clayton Foundation for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Mass Spectrometry Core, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - Erika Duell
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Blake Williams
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | | | - Toni Uhlendorf
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Sa La Kim
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Wolfgang Fischer
- Clayton Foundation for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - James Moresco
- Mass Spectrometry Core, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - Peter C Gray
- Clayton Foundation for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
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11
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Zhang YM, Zimmer MA, Guardia T, Callahan SJ, Mondal C, Di Martino J, Takagi T, Fennell M, Garippa R, Campbell NR, Bravo-Cordero JJ, White RM. Distant Insulin Signaling Regulates Vertebrate Pigmentation through the Sheddase Bace2. Dev Cell 2018; 45:580-594.e7. [PMID: 29804876 PMCID: PMC5991976 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Patterning of vertebrate melanophores is essential for mate selection and protection from UV-induced damage. Patterning can be influenced by circulating long-range factors, such as hormones, but it is unclear how their activity is controlled in recipient cells to prevent excesses in cell number and migration. The zebrafish wanderlust mutant harbors a mutation in the sheddase bace2 and exhibits hyperdendritic and hyperproliferative melanophores that localize to aberrant sites. We performed a chemical screen to identify suppressors of the wanderlust phenotype and found that inhibition of insulin/PI3Kγ/mTOR signaling rescues the defect. In normal physiology, Bace2 cleaves the insulin receptor, whereas its loss results in hyperactive insulin/PI3K/mTOR signaling. Insulin B, an isoform enriched in the head, drives the melanophore defect. These results suggest that insulin signaling is negatively regulated by melanophore-specific expression of a sheddase, highlighting how long-distance factors can be regulated in a cell-type-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan M Zhang
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology Program, New York, NY 10065, USA; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Milena A Zimmer
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Talia Guardia
- University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Scott J Callahan
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Gerstner Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chandrani Mondal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Julie Di Martino
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Toshimitsu Takagi
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Myles Fennell
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ralph Garippa
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathaniel R Campbell
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Richard M White
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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12
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Yang X, Fu J, Wei X. Expression patterns of zebrafish nocturnin genes and the transcriptional activity of the frog nocturnin promoter in zebrafish rod photoreceptors. Mol Vis 2017; 23:1039-1047. [PMID: 29386877 PMCID: PMC5757853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Daily modulation of gene expression is critical for the circadian rhythms of many organisms. One of the modulating mechanisms is based on nocturnin, a deadenylase that degrades mRNA in a circadian fashion. The nocturnin genes are expressed broadly, but their tissue expression patterns differ between mice and the frog Xenopus laevis; this difference suggests that the extent of the regulation of nocturin gene expression varies among species. In this study, we set out to characterize the expression patterns of two zebrafish nocturnin genes; in addition, we asked whether a frog nocturnin promoter has transcriptional activity in zebrafish. Methods We used reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) analysis to determine whether the nocturnin-a and nocturnin-b genes are expressed in the eye, in situ hybridization to determine the cellular expression pattern of the nocturnin-b gene in the retina, and confocal microscopy to determine the protein expression pattern of the transgenic reporter green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven by the frog nocturnin promoter. Results We found that the amino acid sequences of zebrafish nocturnin-a and nocturnin-b are highly similar to those of frog, mouse, and human nocturnin homologs. Only nocturnin-b is expressed in the eye. Within the retina, nocturnin-b mRNA was expressed at higher levels in the retinal photoreceptors layer than in other cellular layers. This expression pattern echoes the restricted photoreceptor expression of nocturnin in the frog. We also found that the frog nocturnin promoter can be specifically activated in zebrafish rod photoreceptors. Conclusions The high level of similarities in amino acid sequences of human, mouse, frog, and zebrafish nocturnin homologs suggest these proteins maintain a conserved deadenylation function that is important for regulating retinal circadian rhythmicity. The rod-specific transcriptional activity of the frog nocturnin promoter makes it a useful tool to drive moderate and rod-specific transgenic expression in zebrafish. The results of this study lay the groundwork to study nocturnin-based circadian biology of the zebrafish retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Yang
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jinling Fu
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiangyun Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
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13
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Pawar N, Gireesh-Babu P, Sabnis S, Rasal K, Murthy R, Zaidi SGS, Sivasubbu S, Chaudhari A. Development of a fluorescent transgenic zebrafish biosensor for sensing aquatic heavy metal pollution. Transgenic Res 2016; 25:617-27. [DOI: 10.1007/s11248-016-9959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Liedtke D, Erhard I, Abe K, Furutani-Seiki M, Kondoh H, Schartl M. Xmrk-induced melanoma progression is affected by Sdf1 signals through Cxcr7. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2013; 27:221-33. [PMID: 24279354 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chemokine signals mediated by Sdf1/Cxcl12 through the chemokine receptor Cxcr4 are thought to play an instructive role in tumor migration and organ-specific metastasis. We have used a small aquarium fish model to contribute to a better understanding of how the course of melanoma development is influenced by Sdf1 signals in vivo. We studied oncogene-induced skin tumor appearance and progression in the transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes) melanoma model. Similar to humans, invasive medaka melanomas show increased levels of sdf1, cxcr4, and cxcr7 gene expression. Stable transgenic fish lines overexpressing sdf1 exclusively in pigment cells showed a reduction in melanoma appearance and progression. Remarkably, diminished levels of functional Cxcr7, but not of Cxcr4b, resulted in strongly reduced melanoma invasiveness and a repression of melanoma. Our results thereby indicate that Sdf1 signals via Cxcr7 are able to constrain melanoma growth in vivo and that these signals influence tumor outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Liedtke
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Biozentrum, Würzburg, Germany
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15
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Tryon RC, Pisat N, Johnson SL, Dougherty JD. Development of translating ribosome affinity purification for zebrafish. Genesis 2013; 51:187-92. [PMID: 23281262 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Revised: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The regulation of transcription and translation by specific cell types is essential to generate the cellular diversity that typifies complex multicellular organisms. Tagging and purification of ribosomal proteins has been shown to be an innovative and effective means of characterizing the ribosome bound transcriptome of highly specific cell populations in vivo. To test the feasibility of using translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) in zebrafish, we have generated both a ubiquitous TRAP line and a melanocyte-specific TRAP line using the native zebrafish rpl10a ribosomal protein. We have demonstrated the capacity to capture mRNA transcripts bound to ribosomes, and confirmed the expected enrichment of melanocyte specific genes and depletion of non-melanocyte genes when expressing the TRAP construct with a cell specific promoter. We have also generated a generic EGFP-rpl10a Tol2 plasmid construct (Tol2-zTRAP) that can be readily modified to target any additional cell populations with characterized promoters in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Tryon
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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16
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O'Reilly-Pol T, Johnson SL. Kit signaling is involved in melanocyte stem cell fate decisions in zebrafish embryos. Development 2013; 140:996-1002. [PMID: 23364331 DOI: 10.1242/dev.088112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Adult stem cells are crucial for growth, homeostasis and repair of adult animals. The melanocyte stem cell (MSC) and melanocyte regeneration is an attractive model for studying regulation of adult stem cells. The process of melanocyte regeneration can be divided into establishment of the MSC, recruitment of the MSC to produce committed daughter cells, and the proliferation, differentiation and survival of these daughter cells. Reduction of Kit signaling results in dose-dependent reduction of melanocytes during larval regeneration. Here, we use clonal analysis techniques to develop assays to distinguish roles for these processes during zebrafish larval melanocyte regeneration. We use these clonal assays to investigate which processes are affected by the reduction in Kit signaling. We show that the regeneration defect in kita mutants is not due to defects in MSC recruitment or in the proliferation, differentiation or survival of the daughter cells, but is instead due to a defect in stem cell establishment. Our analysis suggests that the kit MSC establishment defect results from inappropriate differentiation of the MSC lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas O'Reilly-Pol
- Department of Genetics, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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17
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Fu J, Fang W, Zou J, Sun M, Lathrop K, Su G, Wei X. A robust procedure for distinctively visualizing zebrafish retinal cell nuclei under bright field light microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem 2012. [PMID: 23204114 DOI: 10.1369/0022155412471535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To simultaneously visualize individual cell nuclei and tissue morphologies of the zebrafish retina under bright field light microscopy, it is necessary to establish a procedure that specifically and sensitively stains the cell nuclei in thin tissue sections. This necessity arises from the high nuclear density of the retina and the highly decondensed chromatin of the cone photoreceptors, which significantly reduces their nuclear signals and makes nuclei difficult to distinguish from possible high cytoplasmic background staining. Here we optimized a procedure that integrates JB4 plastic embedding and Feulgen reaction for visualizing zebrafish retinal cell nuclei under bright field light microscopy. This method produced highly specific nuclear staining with minimal cytoplasmic background, allowing us to distinguish individual retinal nuclei despite their tight packaging. The nuclear staining is also sensitive enough to distinguish the euchromatin from heterochromatin in the zebrafish cone nuclei. In addition, this method could be combined with in situ hybridization to simultaneously visualize the cell nuclei and mRNA expression patterns. With its superb specificity and sensitivity, this method may be extended to quantify cell density and analyze global chromatin organization throughout the retina or other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinling Fu
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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18
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Tryon RC, Johnson SL. Clonal and lineage analysis of melanocyte stem cells and their progeny in the zebrafish. Methods Mol Biol 2012; 916:181-195. [PMID: 22914941 PMCID: PMC3630497 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-980-8_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The study of melanocyte biology in the zebrafish presents a highly tractable system for understanding fundamental principles of developmental biology. Melanocytes are visible in the transparent embryo and in the mature fish following metamorphosis, a physical transformation from the larval to adult form. While early developing larval melanocytes are direct derivatives of the neural crest, the remainder of melanocytes develop from unpigmented precursors, or melanocyte stem cells (MSCs). The Tol2 transposable element has facilitated the construction of stable transgenic lines that label melanocytes. In another application, integration of Tol2 constructs makes possible clonal analysis of melanocyte and MSC lineages. Drugs that block melanin synthesis, ablate melanocytes, and block establishment of MSC populations allow the interrogation of this model system for mechanisms of adult stem cell development and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Tryon
- Department of Genetics, Washington School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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19
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Taylor KL, Lister JA, Zeng Z, Ishizaki H, Anderson C, Kelsh RN, Jackson IJ, Patton EE. Differentiated melanocyte cell division occurs in vivo and is promoted by mutations in Mitf. Development 2011; 138:3579-89. [PMID: 21771814 DOI: 10.1242/dev.064014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Coordination of cell proliferation and differentiation is crucial for tissue formation, repair and regeneration. Some tissues, such as skin and blood, depend on differentiation of a pluripotent stem cell population, whereas others depend on the division of differentiated cells. In development and in the hair follicle, pigmented melanocytes are derived from undifferentiated precursor cells or stem cells. However, differentiated melanocytes may also have proliferative capacity in animals, and the potential for differentiated melanocyte cell division in development and regeneration remains largely unexplored. Here, we use time-lapse imaging of the developing zebrafish to show that while most melanocytes arise from undifferentiated precursor cells, an unexpected subpopulation of differentiated melanocytes arises by cell division. Depletion of the overall melanocyte population triggers a regeneration phase in which differentiated melanocyte division is significantly enhanced, particularly in young differentiated melanocytes. Additionally, we find reduced levels of Mitf activity using an mitfa temperature-sensitive line results in a dramatic increase in differentiated melanocyte cell division. This supports models that in addition to promoting differentiation, Mitf also promotes withdrawal from the cell cycle. We suggest differentiated cell division is relevant to melanoma progression because the human melanoma mutation MITF(4T)(Δ)(2B) promotes increased and serial differentiated melanocyte division in zebrafish. These results reveal a novel pathway of differentiated melanocyte division in vivo, and that Mitf activity is essential for maintaining cell cycle arrest in differentiated melanocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrie L Taylor
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
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20
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Tryon RC, Higdon CW, Johnson SL. Lineage relationship of direct-developing melanocytes and melanocyte stem cells in the zebrafish. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21010. [PMID: 21698209 PMCID: PMC3116864 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research in zebrafish has demonstrated that embryonic and larval regeneration melanocytes are derived from separate lineages. The embryonic melanocytes that establish the larval pigment pattern do not require regulative melanocyte stem cell (MSC) precursors, and are termed direct-developing melanocytes. In contrast, the larval regeneration melanocytes that restore the pigment pattern after ablation develop from MSC precursors. Here, we explore whether embryonic melanocytes and MSCs share bipotent progenitors. Furthermore, we explore when fate segregation of embryonic melanocytes and MSCs occurs in zebrafish development. In order to achieve this, we develop and apply a novel lineage tracing method. We first demonstrate that Tol2-mediated genomic integration of reporter constructs from plasmids injected at the 1-2 cell stage occurs most frequently after the midblastula transition but prior to shield stage, between 3 and 6 hours post-fertilization. This previously uncharacterized timing of Tol2-mediated genomic integration establishes Tol2-mediated transposition as a means for conducting lineage tracing in zebrafish. Combining the Tol2-mediated lineage tracing strategy with a melanocyte regeneration assay previously developed in our lab, we find that embryonic melanocytes and larval regeneration melanocytes are derived from progenitors that contribute to both lineages. We estimate 50-60 such bipotent melanogenic progenitors to be present in the shield-stage embryo. Furthermore, our examination of direct-developing and MSC-restricted lineages suggests that these are segregated from bipotent precursors after the shield stage, but prior to the end of convergence and extension. Following this early fate segregation, we estimate approximately 100 embryonic melanocyte and 90 MSC-restricted lineages are generated to establish or regenerate the zebrafish larval pigment pattern, respectively. Thus, the dual strategies of direct-development and MSC-derived development are established in the early gastrula, via fate segregation of the two lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Tryon
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
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21
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Johnson SL, Nguyen AN, Lister JA. mitfa is required at multiple stages of melanocyte differentiation but not to establish the melanocyte stem cell. Dev Biol 2010; 350:405-13. [PMID: 21146516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2010] [Revised: 11/22/2010] [Accepted: 12/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The mitfa gene encodes a zebrafish ortholog of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) which, like its counterparts in other species, is absolutely required for development of neural crest melanocytes. In order to evaluate mitfa's role in different stages of melanocyte development, we have identified hypomorphic alleles of mitfa, including two alleles that are temperature-sensitive for melanocyte development. Molecular analysis revealed that the mitf(fh53)ts results from a single base pair change producing an asparagine to tyrosine amino acid substitution in the DNA-binding domain, and the mitfa(vc7)ts allele is a mutation in a splice donor site that reduces the level of correctly-spliced transcripts. Splicing in the mitfa(vc7) allele does not itself appear to be temperature-dependent. A third, hypomorphic allele, mitfa(z25) results in an isoleucine to phenylalanine substitution in the first helix domain of the protein. Temperature upshift experiments with mitfa(fh53)ts show that mitfa is required at several stages of melanocyte differentiation, including for expression of the early melanoblast marker dct, again for progression from dct expression to differentiation, and again for maintenance of dendritic form following differentiation. mitfa(fh53)ts mutants recover melanocytes within 2-3days when downshifted at all stages of larval development. However, when melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) are ablated by early treatment with the erbB3 inhibitor AG1478, melanocyte recovery is lost by 48 h. This result indicates first that the MSC is established at the restrictive temperature, and that melanoblasts die or lose the ability to recover after being held at the restrictive temperature for approximately one day.
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22
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Tu S, Johnson SL. Clonal analyses reveal roles of organ founding stem cells, melanocyte stem cells and melanoblasts in establishment, growth and regeneration of the adult zebrafish fin. Development 2010; 137:3931-9. [PMID: 20980402 DOI: 10.1242/dev.057075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the adult form emerges from the embryo by mobilization of precursors or adult stem cells. What different cell types these precursors give rise to, how many precursors establish the tissue or organ, and how they divide to establish and maintain the adult form remain largely unknown. We use the pigment pattern of the adult zebrafish fin, with a variety of clonal and lineage analyses, to address these issues. Early embryonic labeling with lineage-marker-bearing transposons shows that all classes of fin melanocytes (ontogenetic, regeneration and kit-independent melanocytes) and xanthophores arise from the same melanocyte-producing founding stem cells (mFSCs), whereas iridophores arise from distinct precursors. Additionally, these experiments show that, on average, six and nine mFSCs colonize the caudal and anal fin primordia, and daughters of different mFSCs always intercalate to form the adult pattern. Labeled clones are arrayed along the proximal-distal axis of the fin, and melanocyte time-of-differentiation lineage assays show that although most of the pigment pattern growth is at the distal edge of the fin, significant growth also occurs proximally. This suggests that leading edge melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) divide both asymmetrically to generate new melanocytes, and symmetrically to expand the MSCs and leave quiescent MSCs in their wake. Clonal labeling in adult stages confirms this and reveals different contributions of MSCs and transient melanoblasts during growth. These analyses build a comprehensive picture for how MSCs are established and grow to form the pigment stripes of the adult zebrafish fins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Tu
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, 4566 Scott Avenue, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
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23
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Hultman KA, Johnson SL. Differential contribution of direct-developing and stem cell-derived melanocytes to the zebrafish larval pigment pattern. Dev Biol 2009; 337:425-31. [PMID: 19931238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2009] [Revised: 11/11/2009] [Accepted: 11/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The extent of adult stem cell involvement in embryonic growth is often unclear, as reliable markers or assays for whether a cell is derived from an adult stem cell, such as the melanocyte stem cell (MSC), are typically not available. We have previously shown that two lineages of melanocytes can contribute to the larval zebrafish pigment pattern. The embryo first develops an ontogenetic pattern that is largely composed of ErbB-independent, direct-developing melanocytes. This population can be replaced during regeneration by an ErbB-dependent MSC-derived population following melanocyte ablation. In this study, we developed a melanocyte differentiation assay used together with drugs that ablate the MSC to investigate whether MSC-derived melanocytes contribute to the ontogenetic pattern. We found that essentially all melanocytes that develop before 3 dpf arise from the ErbB-independent, direct-developing population. Similarly, late-developing (after 3 dpf) melanocytes of the head are also ErbB independent. In contrast, the melanocytes that develop after 3 days postfertilization in the lateral and dorsal stripe are sensitive to ErbB inhibitor, indicating that they are derived from the MSC. We show that melanocyte regeneration mutants kit(j1e99) and skiv2l2(j24e1) that are grossly normal for the overall ontogenetic pattern also lack the MSC-derived contribution to the lateral stripe. This result suggests that the underlying regeneration defect of these mutations is a defect in MSC regulation. We suggest that the regulative functions of the MSC may serve quality control roles during larval development, in addition to its established roles in larval regeneration and growth and homeostasis in the adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Hultman
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Box 8232, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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24
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Stepwise maturation of apicobasal polarity of the neuroepithelium is essential for vertebrate neurulation. J Neurosci 2009; 29:11426-40. [PMID: 19759292 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1880-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During vertebrate neurulation, extensive cell movements transform the flat neural plate into the neural tube. This dynamic morphogenesis requires the tissue to bear a certain amount of plasticity to accommodate shape and position changes of individual cells as well as intercellular cohesiveness to maintain tissue integrity and architecture. For most of the neural plate-neural tube transition, cells are polarized along the apicobasal axis. The establishment and maintenance of this polarity requires many polarity proteins that mediate cell-cell adhesion either directly or indirectly. Intercellular adhesion reduces tissue plasticity and enhances tissue integrity. However, it remains unclear how apicobasal polarity is regulated to meet the opposing needs for tissue plasticity and tissue integrity during neurulation. Here, we show that N-Cad/ZO-1 complex-initiated apicobasal polarity is stabilized by the late-onsetting Lin7c/Nok complex after the extensive morphogenetic cell movements in neurulation. Loss of either N-Cad or Lin7c disrupts neural tube formation. Furthermore, precocious overexpression of Lin7c induces multiaxial mirror symmetry in zebrafish neurulation. Our data suggest that stepwise maturation of apicobasal polarity plays an essential role in vertebrate neurulation.
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Cerda GA, Hargrave M, Lewis KE. RNA profiling of FAC-sorted neurons from the developing zebrafish spinal cord. Dev Dyn 2009; 238:150-61. [PMID: 19097188 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this report, we describe a successful protocol for isolating and expression-profiling live fluorescent-protein-labelled neurons from zebrafish embryos. As a proof-of-principle for this method, we FAC-sorted and RNA-profiled GFP-labelled spinal CiA interneurons and compared the expression profile of these cells to those of post-mitotic spinal neurons in general and to all trunk cells. We show that RNA of sufficient quality and quantity to uncover both expected and novel transcription profiles via Affymetrix microarray analysis can be extracted from 5,700 to 20,000 FAC-sorted cells. As part of this study, we also further confirm the genetic homology of mammalian and zebrafish V1 interneurons, by demonstrating that zebrafish V1 cells (CiAs) express genes that encode for the transcription factors Lhx1a and Lhx5. This protocol for dissociating, sorting and RNA-profiling neurons from organogenesis-stage zebrafish embryos should also be applicable to other developing organs and tissues and potentially other model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A Cerda
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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26
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Abstract
The simplest regeneration experiments involve the ablation of a single cell type. While methods exist to ablate the melanocytes of the larval zebrafish,(1,2) no convenient method exists to ablate melanocytes in adult zebrafish. Here, we show that the copper chelator neocuproine (NCP) causes fragmentation and disappearance of melanin in adult zebrafish melanocytes. Adult melanocytes expressing eGFP under the control of a melanocyte-specific promoter also lose eGFP fluorescence in the presence of NCP. We conclude that NCP causes melanocyte death. This death is independent of p53 and melanin, but can be suppressed by the addition of exogenous copper. NCP is ineffective at ablating larval melanocytes. This now provides a tool for addressing questions about stem cells and the maintenance of the adult pigment pattern in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas O'Reilly-Pol
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, Missouri
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Intact retinal pigment epithelium maintained by Nok is essential for retinal epithelial polarity and cellular patterning in zebrafish. J Neurosci 2009; 28:13684-95. [PMID: 19074041 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4333-08.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the vertebrate eye, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) juxtaposes with the retina, but how the RPE plays a role in retinal morphogenesis remains elusive. It has been shown that the loss of function of the polarity proteins, such as Nagie oko (Nok), disrupts RPE integrity and retinal lamination. However, it is unclear whether or not such defects are caused in a tissue-autonomous manner. Here, by taking advantage of the nok mutation, we have generated a transgenic model to restore the Nok function in the RPE, but not in the retina. With this model, we show that Nok is required for RPE integrity in a tissue-autonomous manner. However, proper retinal epithelial polarity does not require retinal expression of Nok before embryonic photoreceptor genesis; rather, it requires a Nok-mediated intact RPE. Interestingly, sporadic wild-type RPE donor cells are not sufficient to maintain proper retinal polarity. We further show that RPE-mediated retinal epithelial polarity underlies proper patterning of retinal ganglion cells and the cells of the inner nuclear layer. Nevertheless, during embryonic photoreceptor genesis, an intact RPE is not sufficient to maintain retinal epithelial polarity and retinal cellular pattern formation. Our results show that the subcellular architecture and cellular pattern formation of a tissue may be regulated by neighboring tissues through tissue-tissue interactions.
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28
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Kikuta H, Kawakami K. Transient and stable transgenesis using tol2 transposon vectors. Methods Mol Biol 2009; 546:69-84. [PMID: 19378098 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60327-977-2_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Transgenesis is an important methodology for studying the function of genes and genomes in model plants and animals. For the model vertebrate zebrafish, methods using the Tol2 transposable element have been developed for this purpose. With these methods, the function of the transgene can be analyzed in both transient and stable transgenic fish. Recently, cis-sequences necessary for transposition of the Tol2 element were revealed. This enabled development of transposon vectors containing minimal DNA sequences that are easily manipulated. More recently, several transposon vectors containing the Gateway sequence were created and reported. These are useful because any foreign sequences can be cloned into a transposon vector fairly easily and rapidly. This chapter describes the features of these transposon vectors, and protocols to perform transgenesis in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kikuta
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
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29
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Hernández PP, Allende ML. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model for studying the genetic basis of copper toxicity, deficiency, and metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 88:835S-9S. [PMID: 18779304 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/88.3.835s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Unicellular eukaryotes and cultured cells from several animal species were invaluable in discovering the mechanisms that govern incorporation, handling, and excretion of copper at the cellular level. However, understanding the systemic regulation of copper availability and distribution among the different tissues of an intact multicellular organism has proven to be more challenging. This analysis is made even more difficult if the genetic variability among organisms is taken into account. The zebrafish has long been considered a powerful animal model because of its tractable genetics and embryology, but it has more recently become a player in environmental studies, pharmaceutical screening, and physiologic analysis. In particular, the use of the larvae, small enough to fit into a microtiter well, but developed enough to have full organ functionality, represents a convenient alternative for studies that aim to establish effects of environmental agents on the intact, living organism. Studies by our group and others have characterized absorption and tissue distribution of copper and have described the acute effects of the metal on larvae in terms of survival, organ stress, and functionality of sensory organs. A large body of work has shown that there is strong conservation in mechanisms and genes between fish and mammals, opening the possibility for genetic or small molecule screens or for generating fish models of human diseases related to copper metabolism. The variability within humans in terms of tolerance to copper excess or deficiency requires a genetic approach to be taken to understand the behavior of populations, because markers and vulnerabilities need to be identified. The zebrafish could represent a unique tool to move in this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro P Hernández
- Center for Genomics of Cell, Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Abstract
The medaka fish Tol2 element is an autonomous transposon that encodes a fully functional transposase. The transposase protein can catalyze transposition of a transposon construct that has 200 and 150 base pairs of DNA from the left and right ends of the Tol2 sequence, respectively. These sequences contain essential terminal inverted repeats and subterminal sequences. DNA inserts of fairly large sizes (as large as 11 kilobases) can be cloned between these sequences without reducing transpositional activity. The Tol2 transposon system has been shown to be active in all vertebrate cells tested thus far, including zebrafish, Xenopus, chicken, mouse, and human. In this review I describe and discuss how the Tol2 transposon is being applied to transgenic studies in these vertebrates, and possible future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Kawakami
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, and Department of Genetics, The Graduate University of Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
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Recent Papers on Zebrafish And Other Aquarium Fish Models. Zebrafish 2007. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2006.9991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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