1
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Sun K, Liu X, Xu R, Liu C, Meng A, Lan X. Mapping the chromatin accessibility landscape of zebrafish embryogenesis at single-cell resolution by SPATAC-seq. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:1187-1199. [PMID: 38977847 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01449-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Currently, the dynamic accessible elements that determine regulatory programs responsible for the unique identity and function of each cell type during zebrafish embryogenesis lack detailed study. Here we present SPATAC-seq: a split-pool ligation-based assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing. Using SPATAC-seq, we profiled chromatin accessibility in more than 800,000 individual nuclei across 20 developmental stages spanning the sphere stage to the early larval protruding mouth stage. Using this chromatin accessibility map, we identified 604 cell states and inferred their developmental relationships. We also identified 959,040 candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) and delineated development-specific cCREs, as well as transcription factors defining diverse cell identities. Importantly, enhancer reporter assays confirmed that the majority of tested cCREs exhibited robust enhanced green fluorescent protein expression in restricted cell types or tissues. Finally, we explored gene regulatory programs that drive pigment and notochord cell differentiation. Our work provides a valuable open resource for exploring driver regulators of cell fate decisions in zebrafish embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyong Sun
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Runda Xu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Anming Meng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xun Lan
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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2
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Iglesias Ollé L, Perruchoud C, Sanchez PGL, Vogg MC, Galliot B. The Wnt/β-catenin/TCF/Sp5/Zic4 Gene Network That Regulates Head Organizer Activity in Hydra Is Differentially Regulated in Epidermis and Gastrodermis. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1274. [PMID: 38927481 PMCID: PMC11201823 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydra head formation depends on an organizing center in which Wnt/β-catenin signaling, that plays an inductive role, positively regulates Sp5 and Zic4, with Sp5 limiting Wnt3/β-catenin expression and Zic4 triggering tentacle formation. Using transgenic lines in which the HySp5 promoter drives eGFP expression in either the epidermis or gastrodermis, we show that Sp5 promoter activity is differentially regulated in each epithelial layer. In intact animals, epidermal HySp5:GFP activity is strong apically and weak along the body column, while in the gastrodermis, it is maximal in the tentacle ring region and maintained at a high level along the upper body column. During apical regeneration, HySp5:GFP is activated early in the gastrodermis and later in the epidermis. Alsterpaullone treatment induces a shift in apical HySp5:GFP expression towards the body column where it forms transient circular figures in the epidermis. Upon β-catenin(RNAi), HySp5:GFP activity is down-regulated in the epidermis while bud-like structures expressing HySp5:GFP in the gastrodermis develop. Sp5(RNAi) reveals a negative Sp5 autoregulation in the epidermis, but not in the gastrodermis. These differential regulations in the epidermis and gastrodermis highlight the distinct architectures of the Wnt/β-catenin/TCF/Sp5/Zic4 network in the hypostome, tentacle base and body column of intact animals, as well as in the buds and apical and basal regenerating tips.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Brigitte Galliot
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland (C.P.); (P.G.L.S.)
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3
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Ogamino S, Yamamichi M, Sato K, Ishitani T. Dynamics of Wnt/β-catenin reporter activity throughout whole life in a naturally short-lived vertebrate. NPJ AGING 2024; 10:23. [PMID: 38684674 PMCID: PMC11059364 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-024-00149-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a major role in regulation of embryogenesis, organogenesis, and adult tissue homeostasis and regeneration. However, the roles played by Wnt/β-catenin and the spatiotemporal regulation of its activity throughout life, including during aging, are not fully understood. To address these issues, we introduced a Wnt/β-catenin signaling sensitive reporter into African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), a naturally ultra-short-lived fish that allows for the analysis of its whole life within a short period of time. Using this reporter killifish, we unraveled the previously unidentified dynamics of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during development and aging. Using the reporter strain, we detected Wnt/β-catenin activity in actively developing tissues as reported in previous reports, but also observed activation and attenuation of Wnt/β-catenin activity during embryonic reaggregation and diapause, respectively. During the aging process, the reporter was activated in the choroidal layer and liver, but its expression decreased in the kidneys. In addition, the reporter also revealed that aging disrupts the spatial regulation and intensity control of Wnt/β-catenin activity seen during fin regeneration, which interferes with precise regeneration. Thus, the employed reporter killifish is a highly useful model for investigating the dynamics of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during both the developmental and aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Ogamino
- Department of Homeostatic Regulation, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for Molecular & Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan
| | - Moeko Yamamichi
- Department of Homeostatic Regulation, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ken Sato
- Institute for Molecular & Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan
| | - Tohru Ishitani
- Department of Homeostatic Regulation, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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4
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Martins-Costa C, Wilson V, Binagui-Casas A. Neuromesodermal specification during head-to-tail body axis formation. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:232-271. [PMID: 38729677 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The anterior-to-posterior (head-to-tail) body axis is extraordinarily diverse among vertebrates but conserved within species. Body axis development requires a population of axial progenitors that resides at the posterior of the embryo to sustain elongation and is then eliminated once axis extension is complete. These progenitors occupy distinct domains in the posterior (tail-end) of the embryo and contribute to various lineages along the body axis. The subset of axial progenitors with neuromesodermal competency will generate both the neural tube (the precursor of the spinal cord), and the trunk and tail somites (producing the musculoskeleton) during embryo development. These axial progenitors are called Neuromesodermal Competent cells (NMCs) and Neuromesodermal Progenitors (NMPs). NMCs/NMPs have recently attracted interest beyond the field of developmental biology due to their clinical potential. In the mouse, the maintenance of neuromesodermal competency relies on a fine balance between a trio of known signals: Wnt/β-catenin, FGF signalling activity and suppression of retinoic acid signalling. These signals regulate the relative expression levels of the mesodermal transcription factor Brachyury and the neural transcription factor Sox2, permitting the maintenance of progenitor identity when co-expressed, and either mesoderm or neural lineage commitment when the balance is tilted towards either Brachyury or Sox2, respectively. Despite important advances in understanding key genes and cellular behaviours involved in these fate decisions, how the balance between mesodermal and neural fates is achieved remains largely unknown. In this chapter, we provide an overview of signalling and gene regulatory networks in NMCs/NMPs. We discuss mutant phenotypes associated with axial defects, hinting at the potential significant role of lesser studied proteins in the maintenance and differentiation of the progenitors that fuel axial elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Martins-Costa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - V Wilson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - A Binagui-Casas
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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5
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Gautam S, Fenner JL, Wang B, Range RC. Evolutionarily conserved Wnt/Sp5 signaling is critical for anterior-posterior axis patterning in sea urchin embryos. iScience 2024; 27:108616. [PMID: 38179064 PMCID: PMC10765061 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies across a diverse group of metazoan embryos indicate that Wnt signaling often activates the transcription factor Sp5, forming a signaling 'cassette' that plays critical roles in many developmental processes. This study explores the role of Wnt/Sp5 signaling during the specification and patterning of the primary germ layers during early anterior-posterior axis formation in the deuterostome sea urchin embryo. Our functional analyses show that Sp5 is critical for endomesoderm specification downstream of Wnt/β-catenin in posterior cells as well as anterior neuroectoderm patterning downstream of non-canonical Wnt/JNK signaling in anterior cells. Interestingly, expression and functional data comparisons show that Wnt/Sp5 signaling often plays similar roles in posterior endomesoderm as well as neuroectoderm patterning along the AP axis of several deuterostome embryos, including vertebrates. Thus, our findings provide strong support for the idea that Wnt-Sp5 signaling cassettes were critical for the establishment of early germ layers in the common deuterostome ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujan Gautam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Fenner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Boyuan Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Ryan C. Range
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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6
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Loureiro C, Venzin OF, Oates AC. Generation of patterns in the paraxial mesoderm. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:372-405. [PMID: 38729682 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The Segmentation Clock is a tissue-level patterning system that enables the segmentation of the vertebral column precursors into transient multicellular blocks called somites. This patterning system comprises a set of elements that are essential for correct segmentation. Under the so-called "Clock and Wavefront" model, the system consists of two elements, a genetic oscillator that manifests itself as traveling waves of gene expression, and a regressing wavefront that transforms the temporally periodic signal encoded in the oscillations into a permanent spatially periodic pattern of somite boundaries. Over the last twenty years, every new discovery about the Segmentation Clock has been tightly linked to the nomenclature of the "Clock and Wavefront" model. This constrained allocation of discoveries into these two elements has generated long-standing debates in the field as what defines molecularly the wavefront and how and where the interaction between the two elements establishes the future somite boundaries. In this review, we propose an expansion of the "Clock and Wavefront" model into three elements, "Clock", "Wavefront" and signaling gradients. We first provide a detailed description of the components and regulatory mechanisms of each element, and we then examine how the spatiotemporal integration of the three elements leads to the establishment of the presumptive somite boundaries. To be as exhaustive as possible, we focus on the Segmentation Clock in zebrafish. Furthermore, we show how this three-element expansion of the model provides a better understanding of the somite formation process and we emphasize where our current understanding of this patterning system remains obscure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Loureiro
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, Switzerland
| | - Olivier F Venzin
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, Switzerland
| | - Andrew C Oates
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, Switzerland.
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7
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Tan AL, Mohanty S, Guo J, Lekven AC, Riley BB. Pax2a, Sp5a and Sp5l act downstream of Fgf and Wnt to coordinate sensory-neural patterning in the inner ear. Dev Biol 2022; 492:139-153. [PMID: 36244503 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.10.004] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In zebrafish, sensory epithelia and neuroblasts of the inner ear form simultaneously in abutting medial and lateral domains, respectively, in the floor of the otic vesicle. Previous studies support regulatory roles for Fgf and Wnt, but how signaling is coordinated is poorly understood. We investigated this problem using pharmacological and transgenic methods to alter Fgf or Wnt signaling from early placodal stages to evaluate later changes in growth and patterning. Blocking Fgf at any stage reduces proliferation of otic tissue and terminates both sensory and neural specification. Wnt promotes proliferation in the otic vesicle but is not required for sensory or neural development. However, sustained overactivation of Wnt laterally expands sensory epithelia and blocks neurogenesis. pax2a, sp5a and sp5l are coregulated by Fgf and Wnt and show overlapping expression in the otic placode and vesicle. Gain- and loss-of-function studies show that these genes are together required for Wnt's suppression of neurogenesis, as well as some aspects of sensory development. Thus, pax2a, sp5a and sp5l are critical for mediating Fgf and Wnt signaling to promote spatially localized sensory and neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Tan
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Saurav Mohanty
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jinbai Guo
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Arne C Lekven
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Bruce B Riley
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.
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8
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Zhang B, Qin G, Qu L, Zhang Y, Li C, Cang C, Lin Q. Wnt8a is one of the candidate genes that play essential roles in the elongation of the seahorse prehensile tail. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:416-426. [PMID: 37073259 PMCID: PMC10077196 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-021-00099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Seahorses are a hallmark of specialized morphological features due to their elongated prehensile tail. However, the underlying genomic grounds of seahorse tail development remain elusive. Herein, we evaluated the roles of essential genes from the Wnt gene family for the tail developmental process in the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus). Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the Wnt gene family is conserved in seahorses. The expression profiles and in situ hybridization suggested that Wnt5a, Wnt8a, and Wnt11 may participate in seahorse tail development. Like in other teleosts, Wnt5a and Wnt11 were found to regulate the development of the tail axial mesoderm and tail somitic mesoderm, respectively. However, a significantly extended expression period of Wnt8a during seahorse tail development was observed. Signaling pathway analysis further showed that Wnt8a up-regulated the expression of the tail axial mesoderm gene (Shh), while interaction analysis indicated that Wnt8a could promote the expression of Wnt11. In summary, our results indicate that the special extended expression period of Wnt8a might promote caudal tail axis formation, which contributes to the formation of the elongated tail of the seahorse. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-021-00099-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458 China
| | - Geng Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458 China
| | - Lili Qu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026 China
| | - Yanhong Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458 China
| | - Chunyan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458 China
| | - Chunlei Cang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026 China
| | - Qiang Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510275 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
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9
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Ramirez AN, Loubet-Senear K, Srivastava M. A Regulatory Program for Initiation of Wnt Signaling during Posterior Regeneration. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108098. [PMID: 32877680 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-body regeneration relies on the re-establishment of body axes for patterning of new tissue. Wnt signaling is required to correctly regenerate tissues along the primary axis in many animals. However, the causal mechanisms that first launch Wnt signaling during regeneration are poorly characterized. We use the acoel worm Hofstenia miamia to identify processes that initiate Wnt signaling during posterior regeneration and find that the ligand wnt-3 is upregulated early in posterior-facing wounds. Functional studies reveal that wnt-3 is required to regenerate posterior tissues. wnt-3 is expressed in stem cells, it is needed for their proliferation, and its function is stem cell dependent. Chromatin accessibility data reveal that wnt-3 activation requires input from the general wound response. In addition, the expression of a different Wnt ligand, wnt-1, before amputation is required for wound-induced activation of wnt-3. Our study establishes a gene regulatory network for initiating Wnt signaling in posterior tissues in a bilaterian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson N Ramirez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Loubet-Senear
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mansi Srivastava
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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10
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Garriock RJ, Chalamalasetty RB, Zhu J, Kennedy MW, Kumar A, Mackem S, Yamaguchi TP. A dorsal-ventral gradient of Wnt3a/β-catenin signals controls mouse hindgut extension and colon formation. Development 2020; 147:dev.185108. [PMID: 32156757 DOI: 10.1242/dev.185108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of Wnt signaling for adult intestinal stem cell homeostasis and colorectal cancer, relatively little is known about its role in colon formation during embryogenesis. The development of the colon starts with the formation and extension of the hindgut. We show that Wnt3a is expressed in the caudal embryo in a dorsal-ventral (DV) gradient across all three germ layers, including the hindgut. Using genetic and lineage-tracing approaches, we describe novel dorsal and ventral hindgut domains, and show that ventrolateral hindgut cells populate the majority of the colonic epithelium. A Wnt3a-β-catenin-Sp5/8 pathway, which is active in the dorsal hindgut endoderm, is required for hindgut extension and colon formation. Interestingly, the absence of Wnt activity in the ventral hindgut is crucial for proper hindgut morphogenesis, as ectopic stabilization of β-catenin in the ventral hindgut via gain- or loss-of-function mutations in Ctnnb1 or Apc, respectively, leads to severe colonic hyperplasia. Thus, the DV Wnt gradient is required to coordinate growth between dorsal and ventral hindgut domains to regulate the extension of the hindgut that leads to colon formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Garriock
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ravindra B Chalamalasetty
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - JianJian Zhu
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Mark W Kennedy
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Susan Mackem
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Terry P Yamaguchi
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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11
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Tewari AG, Owen JH, Petersen CP, Wagner DE, Reddien PW. A small set of conserved genes, including sp5 and Hox, are activated by Wnt signaling in the posterior of planarians and acoels. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008401. [PMID: 31626630 PMCID: PMC6821139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling regulates primary body axis formation across the Metazoa, with high Wnt signaling specifying posterior identity. Whether a common Wnt-driven transcriptional program accomplishes this broad role is poorly understood. We identified genes acutely affected after Wnt signaling inhibition in the posterior of two regenerative species, the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea and the acoel Hofstenia miamia, which are separated by >550 million years of evolution. Wnt signaling was found to maintain positional information in muscle and regional gene expression in multiple differentiated cell types. sp5, Hox genes, and Wnt pathway components are down-regulated rapidly after β-catenin RNAi in both species. Brachyury, a vertebrate Wnt target, also displays Wnt-dependent expression in Hofstenia. sp5 inhibits trunk gene expression in the tail of planarians and acoels, promoting separate tail-trunk body domains. A planarian posterior Hox gene, Post-2d, promotes normal tail regeneration. We propose that common regulation of a small gene set–Hox, sp5, and Brachyury–might underlie the widespread utilization of Wnt signaling in primary axis patterning across the Bilateria. How animals form and maintain their body axes is a fundamental topic in developmental biology. Wnt signaling is an important regulator of head-tail axis formation across animals, with high Wnt signaling specifying tail identity. In this study, we use two species that are separated by more than 550 million years of evolution, planarians and acoels, to find genes regulated by Wnt signaling in the tail broadly in the Bilateria. We identified a small conserved set of Wnt-regulated genes, including the transcription factor-encoding genes sp5 and Hox. This suggests that regulation of this gene set might be a key function of Wnt signaling in the tails of bilaterally symmetric animals. Inhibition of a planarian posterior Hox gene, Post-2d, by RNAi caused tail-regeneration defects. Inhibition of sp5 by RNAi revealed that it functions to restrict the expression of trunk genes in the tail of planarians and acoels. Since Wnt signaling activates both trunk and tail patterning gene expression in planarians, this suggests a mechanism by which Wnt signaling can establish separate trunk-tail body domains through regulation of sp5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneesha G. Tewari
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jared H. Owen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christian P. Petersen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daniel E. Wagner
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter W. Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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12
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Treffkorn S, Hernández-Lagos OY, Mayer G. Evidence for cell turnover as the mechanism responsible for the transport of embryos towards the vagina in viviparous onychophorans (velvet worms). Front Zool 2019; 16:16. [PMID: 31182967 PMCID: PMC6555992 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0317-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Onychophorans, commonly known as velvet worms, display a remarkable diversity of reproductive strategies including oviparity, and placentotrophic, lecithotrophic, matrotrophic or combined lecithotrophic/matrotrophic viviparity. In the placentotrophic species, the embryos of consecutive developmental stages are attached to the uterus via a placental stalk, suggesting they might be transported passively towards the vagina due to proximal growth and distal degeneration of tissue. However, this assumption has never been tested using specific markers. We therefore analyzed the patterns of cell proliferation and apoptosis in the genital tracts of two placentotrophic peripatids from Colombia and a non-placentotrophic peripatopsid from Australia. Results All three species show a high number of apoptotic cells in the distal portion of the genital tract near the genital opening. In the two placentotrophic species, additional apoptotic cells appear in ring-like vestigial placentation zones of late embryonic chambers. While moderate cell proliferation occurs along the entire uterus in all three species, only the two placentotrophic species show a distinct proliferation zone near the ovary as well as in the ring-like implantation zone of the first embryonic chamber. In contrast to the two placentotrophic species, the non-placentotrophic species clearly does not show such regions of high proliferation in the uterus but exhibits proliferating and apoptotic cells in the ovarian stalks. While cell proliferation mainly occurs in stalks carrying maturating oocytes, apoptosis is restricted to stalks whose oocytes have been released into the ovarian lumen. Conclusions Our results confirm the hypothesis that the uterus of placentotrophic onychophorans grows proximally but is resorbed distally. This is supported by the detection of a proximal proliferation zone and a distal degenerative zone in the two placentotrophic species. Hence, cell turnover might be responsible for the transport of their embryos towards the vagina, analogous to a conveyor belt. Surprisingly, the distal degenerative zone is also found in the non-placentotrophic species, in which cell turnover was unexpected. These findings suggest that the distal degenerative zone is an ancestral feature of Onychophora, whereas the proximal proliferation zone might have evolved in the last common ancestor of the placentotrophic Peripatidae. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-019-0317-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Treffkorn
- 1Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Oscar Yesid Hernández-Lagos
- 2Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 27 #9, ciudad Universitaria, Bucaramanga, Santander Colombia
| | - Georg Mayer
- 1Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
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13
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Brock CK, Wallin ST, Ruiz OE, Samms KM, Mandal A, Sumner EA, Eisenhoffer GT. Stem cell proliferation is induced by apoptotic bodies from dying cells during epithelial tissue maintenance. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1044. [PMID: 30837472 PMCID: PMC6400930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09010-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial tissues require the removal and replacement of damaged cells to sustain a functional barrier. Dying cells provide instructive cues that can influence surrounding cells to proliferate, but how these signals are transmitted to their healthy neighbors to control cellular behaviors during tissue homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here we show that dying stem cells facilitate communication with adjacent stem cells by caspase-dependent production of Wnt8a-containing apoptotic bodies to drive cellular turnover in living epithelia. Basal stem cells engulf apoptotic bodies, activate Wnt signaling, and are stimulated to divide to maintain tissue-wide cell numbers. Inhibition of either cell death or Wnt signaling eliminated the apoptosis-induced cell division, while overexpression of Wnt8a signaling combined with induced cell death led to an expansion of the stem cell population. We conclude that ingestion of apoptotic bodies represents a regulatory mechanism linking death and division to maintain overall stem cell numbers and epithelial tissue homeostasis. Damaged epithelial tissues are known to compensate for cell death through compensatory cell divisions to maintain epithelial integrity. Here, the authors show in living epithelia that dying cells stimulate adjacent stem cells to divide through caspase-dependent production of Wnt8a-containing apoptotic bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K Brock
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Stephen T Wallin
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Oscar E Ruiz
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Krystin M Samms
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amrita Mandal
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Sumner
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - George T Eisenhoffer
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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14
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Vogg MC, Beccari L, Iglesias Ollé L, Rampon C, Vriz S, Perruchoud C, Wenger Y, Galliot B. An evolutionarily-conserved Wnt3/β-catenin/Sp5 feedback loop restricts head organizer activity in Hydra. Nat Commun 2019; 10:312. [PMID: 30659200 PMCID: PMC6338789 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08242-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyps of the cnidarian Hydra maintain their adult anatomy through two developmental organizers, the head organizer located apically and the foot organizer basally. The head organizer is made of two antagonistic cross-reacting components, an activator, driving apical differentiation and an inhibitor, preventing ectopic head formation. Here we characterize the head inhibitor by comparing planarian genes down-regulated when β-catenin is silenced to Hydra genes displaying a graded apical-to-basal expression and an up-regulation during head regeneration. We identify Sp5 as a transcription factor that fulfills the head inhibitor properties: leading to a robust multiheaded phenotype when knocked-down in Hydra, acting as a transcriptional repressor of Wnt3 and positively regulated by Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Hydra and zebrafish Sp5 repress Wnt3 promoter activity while Hydra Sp5 also activates its own expression, likely via β-catenin/TCF interaction. This work identifies Sp5 as a potent feedback loop inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, a function conserved across eumetazoan evolution. Hydra regenerate various body parts on amputation by activation of the appropriate organiser, but how head formation is controlled is unclear. Here, the authors identify the transcription factor Sp5 as restricting head formation, by being activated by beta-catenin and then acting as a repressor of Wnt3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias C Vogg
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Laura Iglesias Ollé
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Christine Rampon
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB), CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050/Collège de France, 11, Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Biology Department, 75205, Paris Cedex 13, France.,PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Vriz
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB), CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050/Collège de France, 11, Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Biology Department, 75205, Paris Cedex 13, France.,PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Chrystelle Perruchoud
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Yvan Wenger
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Galliot
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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15
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Ishimatsu K, Hiscock TW, Collins ZM, Sari DWK, Lischer K, Richmond DL, Bessho Y, Matsui T, Megason SG. Size-reduced embryos reveal a gradient scaling-based mechanism for zebrafish somite formation. Development 2018; 145:dev.161257. [PMID: 29769221 DOI: 10.1242/dev.161257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about how the sizes of animal tissues are controlled. A prominent example is somite size, which varies widely both within an individual and across species. Despite intense study of the segmentation clock governing the timing of somite generation, how it relates to somite size is poorly understood. Here, we examine somite scaling and find that somite size at specification scales with the length of the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) despite considerable variation in PSM length across developmental stages and in surgically size-reduced embryos. Measurement of clock period, axis elongation speed and clock gene expression patterns demonstrate that existing models fail to explain scaling. We posit a 'clock and scaled gradient' model, in which somite boundaries are set by a dynamically scaling signaling gradient across the PSM. Our model not only explains existing data, but also makes a unique prediction that we confirm experimentally - the formation of periodic 'echoes' in somite size following perturbation of the size of one somite. Our findings demonstrate that gradient scaling plays a central role in both progression and size control of somitogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Ishimatsu
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tom W Hiscock
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zach M Collins
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dini Wahyu Kartika Sari
- Gene Regulation Research, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0101, Japan.,Department of Fisheries, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
| | - Kenny Lischer
- Gene Regulation Research, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0101, Japan
| | - David L Richmond
- Image and Data Analysis Core, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yasumasa Bessho
- Gene Regulation Research, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0101, Japan
| | - Takaaki Matsui
- Gene Regulation Research, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0101, Japan
| | - Sean G Megason
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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16
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Sun Y, Xu K, He M, Fan G, Lu H. Overexpression of Glypican 5 (GPC5) Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion via Suppressing Sp1-Mediated EMT and Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling. Oncol Res 2018; 26:565-572. [PMID: 28893348 PMCID: PMC7844840 DOI: 10.3727/096504017x15044461944385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Glypican 5 (GPC5) belongs to the family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). It was initially known as a regulator of growth factors and morphogens. Recently, there have been reports on its correlation with the tumorigenic process in the development of some cancers. However, little is known about its precise role in prostate cancer (PCa). In the present study, we explored the expression pattern and biological functions of GPC5 in PCa cells. Our results showed that GPC5 was lowly expressed in PCa cell lines. Upregulation of GPC5 significantly inhibited PCa cell proliferation and invasion in vitro as well as attenuated tumor growth in vivo. We also found that overexpression of GPC5 inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation, which was mediated by Sp1. Taken together, we suggest GPC5 as a tumor suppressor in PCa and provide promising therapeutic strategies for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sun
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Daqing Oil Field, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Kai Xu
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Daqing Oil Field, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Miao He
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Daqing Oil Field, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Guilian Fan
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Daqing Oil Field, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Hongming Lu
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Daqing Oil Field, Daqing, P.R. China
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17
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Wnt9a Is Required for the Aortic Amplification of Nascent Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Cell Rep 2017; 17:1595-1606. [PMID: 27806298 PMCID: PMC6309681 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
All mature blood cell types in the adult animal arise from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the developmental cues regulating HSPC ontogeny are incompletely understood. In particular, the details surrounding a requirement for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the development of mature HSPCs are controversial and difficult to consolidate. Using zebrafish, we demonstrate that Wnt signaling is required to direct an amplification of HSPCs in the aorta. Wnt9a is specifically required for this process and cannot be replaced by Wnt9b or Wnt3a. This proliferative event occurs independently of initial HSPC fate specification, and the Wnt9a input is required prior to aorta formation. HSPC arterial amplification occurs prior to seeding of secondary hematopoietic tissues and proceeds, in part, through the cell cycle regulator myca (c-myc). Our results support a general paradigm, in which early signaling events, including Wnt, direct later HSPC developmental processes. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) give rise to all of the blood cells of the adult organism; however, how these cells are derived in vivo is still incompletely understood. Using zebrafish, Grainger et al. find that Wnt9a mediates amplification of HSPCs prior to their migration to secondary hematopoietic sites.
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18
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The WNT target SP5 negatively regulates WNT transcriptional programs in human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1034. [PMID: 29044119 PMCID: PMC5647328 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01203-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway is a prominent player in many developmental processes, including gastrulation, anterior-posterior axis specification, organ and tissue development, and homeostasis. Here, we use human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to study the dynamics of the transcriptional response to exogenous activation of the WNT pathway. We describe a mechanism involving the WNT target gene SP5 that leads to termination of the transcriptional program initiated by WNT signaling. Integration of gene expression profiles of wild-type and SP5 mutant cells with genome-wide SP5 binding events reveals that SP5 acts to diminish expression of genes previously activated by the WNT pathway. Furthermore, we show that activation of SP5 by WNT signaling is most robust in cells with developmental potential, such as stem cells. These findings indicate a mechanism by which the developmental WNT signaling pathway reins in expression of transcriptional programs.
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19
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Cooperation Between T-Box Factors Regulates the Continuous Segregation of Germ Layers During Vertebrate Embryogenesis. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 122:117-159. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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20
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Dailey SC, Kozmikova I, Somorjai IM. Amphioxus Sp5 is a member of a conserved Specificity Protein complement and is modulated by Wnt/β-catenin signalling. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 61:723-732. [PMID: 29319119 PMCID: PMC5777634 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.170205is] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
A cluster of three Specificity Protein (Sp) genes (Sp1-4, Sp5 and Sp6-9) is thought to be ancestral in both chordates and the wider Eumetazoa. Sp5 and Sp6-9 gene groups are associated with embryonic growth zones, such as tailbuds, and are both Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway members and targets. Currently, there are conflicting reports as to the number and identity of Sp genes in the cephalochordates, the sister group to the vertebrates and urochordates. We confirm the SP complement of Branchiostoma belcheri and Branchiostoma lanceolatum, as well as their genomic arrangement, protein domain structure and residue frequency. We assay Sp5 expression in B. lanceolatum embryos, and determine its response to pharmacologically increased β-catenin signalling. Branchiostoma possesses three Sp genes, located on the same genomic scaffold. Phylogenetic and domain structure analyses are consistent with their identification as SP1-4, SP5 and SP6-9, although SP1-4 contains a novel glutamine-rich N-terminal region. SP5 is expressed in axial mesoderm and neurectoderm, and marks the cerebral vesicle and presumptive pharynx. Early exposure to increased β-catenin caused ubiquitous SP5 expression in late gastrula, while later treatment at gastrula stages reduced SP5 expression in the posterior growth zone during axis elongation. Amphioxus possess a typical invertebrate eumetazoan SP complement, and SP5 expression in embryos is well conserved with vertebrate homologues. Its expression in the tailbud, a posterior growth zone, is consistent with expression seen in other bilaterians. Branchiostoma SP5 shows a dynamic response to Wnt/β-catenin signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon C. Dailey
- University of St Andrews, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, North Haugh, St Andrews, UK
- Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, St Andrews, UK
| | - Iryna Kozmikova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ildikó M.L. Somorjai
- University of St Andrews, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, North Haugh, St Andrews, UK
- Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, St Andrews, UK
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21
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Yi H, Wang Z, Li X, Yin M, Wang L, Aldalbahi A, El-Sayed NN, Wang H, Chen N, Fan C, Song H. Silica Nanoparticles Target a Wnt Signal Transducer for Degradation and Impair Embryonic Development in Zebrafish. Theranostics 2016; 6:1810-20. [PMID: 27570552 PMCID: PMC4997238 DOI: 10.7150/thno.16127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many types of biocompatible nanomaterials have proven of low cytotoxicity and hold great promise for various applications in nanomedicine. Whereas they generally do not cause apparent organ toxicity or tissue damage in adult animals, it is yet to determine their biological consequences in more general contexts. In this study, we investigate how silica nanoparticles (NPs) affect cellular activities and functions under several physiological or pathological conditions. Although silica NPs are generally regarded as "inert" nanocarriers and widely employed in biomedical studies, we find that they actively affect Wnt signaling in various types of cell lines, diminishing its anti-adipogenic effect in preadipocytes and pro-invasive effect in breast cancer cells, and more significantly, impair Wnt-regulated embryonic development in Zebrafish. We further demonstrate that intracellular silica NPs block Wnt signal transduction in a way resembling signaling molecules. Specifically, silica NPs target the Dvl protein, a key component of Wnt signaling cascade, for lysosomal degradation. As Wnt signaling play significant roles in embryonic development and adipogenesis, the observed physiological effects beyond toxicity imply potential risk of obesity, or developmental defects in somitogenesis and osteogenesis upon exposure to silica NPs. In addition, given the clinical implications of Wnt signaling in tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis, our work also establishes for the first time a molecular link between nanomaterials and the Wnt signaling pathway, which opens new door for novel applications of unmodified silica NPs in targeted therapy for cancers and other critical illness.
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22
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Steventon B, Duarte F, Lagadec R, Mazan S, Nicolas JF, Hirsinger E. Species-specific contribution of volumetric growth and tissue convergence to posterior body elongation in vertebrates. Development 2016; 143:1732-41. [PMID: 26989170 DOI: 10.1242/dev.126375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Posterior body elongation is a widespread mechanism propelling the generation of the metazoan body plan. The posterior growth model predicts that a posterior growth zone generates sufficient tissue volume to elongate the posterior body. However, there are energy supply-related differences between vertebrates in the degree to which growth occurs concomitantly with embryogenesis. By applying a multi-scalar morphometric analysis in zebrafish embryos, we show that posterior body elongation is generated by an influx of cells from lateral regions, by convergence-extension of cells as they exit the tailbud, and finally by a late volumetric growth in the spinal cord and notochord. Importantly, the unsegmented region does not generate additional tissue volume. Fibroblast growth factor inhibition blocks tissue convergence rather than volumetric growth, showing that a conserved molecular mechanism can control convergent morphogenesis through different cell behaviours. Finally, via a comparative morphometric analysis in lamprey, dogfish, zebrafish and mouse, we propose that elongation via posterior volumetric growth is linked to increased energy supply and is associated with an overall increase in volumetric growth and elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Steventon
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris cedex 15 75724, France
| | - Fernando Duarte
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris cedex 15 75724, France
| | - Ronan Lagadec
- Development and Evolution of Vertebrates, CNRS-UPMC-UMR 7150, Station Biologique, Roscoff 29680, France CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR7232, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls 66650, France
| | - Sylvie Mazan
- Development and Evolution of Vertebrates, CNRS-UPMC-UMR 7150, Station Biologique, Roscoff 29680, France CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR7232, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls 66650, France
| | - Jean-François Nicolas
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris cedex 15 75724, France
| | - Estelle Hirsinger
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris cedex 15 75724, France
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23
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Kwon YJ, Baek HS, Ye DJ, Shin S, Kim D, Chun YJ. CYP1B1 Enhances Cell Proliferation and Metastasis through Induction of EMT and Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling via Sp1 Upregulation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151598. [PMID: 26981862 PMCID: PMC4794175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is a major E2 hydroxylase involved in the metabolism of potential carcinogens. CYP1B1 expression has been reported to be higher in tumors compared to normal tissues, especially in hormone-related cancers including breast, ovary, and prostate tumors. To explore the role of CYP1B1 in cancer progression, we investigated the action of CYP1B1 in cells with increased CYP1B1 via the inducer 7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene (DMBA) or an overexpression vector, in addition to decreased CYP1B1 via the inhibitor tetramethoxystilbene (TMS) or siRNA knockdown. We observed that CYP1B1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells. To understand its molecular mechanism, we measured key oncogenic proteins including β-catenin, c-Myc, ZEB2, and matrix metalloproteinases following CYP1B1 modulation. CYP1B1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling via upregulation of CTNNB1, ZEB2, SNAI1, and TWIST1. Sp1, a transcription factor involved in cell growth and metastasis, was positively regulated by CYP1B1, and suppression of Sp1 expression by siRNA or DNA binding activity using mithramycin A blocked oncogenic transformation by CYP1B1. Therefore, we suggest that Sp1 acts as a key mediator for CYP1B1 action. Treatment with 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), a major metabolite generated by CYP1B1, showed similar effects as CYP1B1 overexpression, indicating that CYP1B1 activity mediated various oncogenic events in cells. In conclusion, our data suggests that CYP1B1 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis by inducing EMT and Wnt/β-catenin signaling via Sp1 induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeo-Jung Kwon
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Dong-Jin Ye
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sangyun Shin
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Donghak Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Jin Chun
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail:
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24
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Sp5 and Sp8 recruit β-catenin and Tcf1-Lef1 to select enhancers to activate Wnt target gene transcription. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:3545-50. [PMID: 26969725 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1519994113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The ancient, highly conserved, Wnt signaling pathway regulates cell fate in all metazoans. We have previously shown that combined null mutations of the specificity protein (Sp) 1/Klf-like zinc-finger transcription factors Sp5 and Sp8 (i.e., Sp5/8) result in an embryonic phenotype identical to that observed when core components of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are mutated; however, their role in Wnt signal transduction is unknown. Here, we show in mouse embryos and differentiating embryonic stem cells that Sp5/8 are gene-specific transcriptional coactivators in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Sp5/8 bind directly to GC boxes in Wnt target gene enhancers and to adjacent, or distally positioned, chromatin-bound T-cell factor (Tcf) 1/lymphoid enhancer factor (Lef) 1 to facilitate recruitment of β-catenin to target gene enhancers. Because Sp5 is itself directly activated by Wnt signals, we propose that Sp5 is a Wnt/β-catenin pathway-specific transcript on factor that functions in a feed-forward loop to robustly activate select Wnt target genes.
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25
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Kimelman D. Tales of Tails (and Trunks): Forming the Posterior Body in Vertebrate Embryos. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 116:517-36. [PMID: 26970638 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A major question in developmental biology is how the early embryonic axes are established. Recent studies using different model organisms and mammalian in vitro systems have revealed the surprising result that most of the early posterior embryonic body forms from a Wnt-regulated bipotential neuromesodermal progenitor population that escapes early germ layer patterning. Part of the regulatory network that drives the maintenance and differentiation of these progenitors has recently been determined, but much remains to be discovered. This review discusses some of the common features present in all vertebrates, as well as unique aspects that different species utilize to establish their anterior-posterior (A-P) axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kimelman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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Abstract
Many cancers have similar aberrations in various signaling cascades with crucial roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis. Dysregulation of signal cascades that play integral roles during early cellular development is well known to be a central feature of many malignancies. One such signaling cascade is the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which has a profound effect on stem cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. This pathway is dysregulated in numerous cell types, underscoring its global oncogenetic potential. This review highlights regulators and downstream effectors of this receptor cascade and addresses the increasingly apparent crosstalk of Wnt with other tumorigenic signaling pathways. As understanding of the genetic and epigenetic changes unique to these malignancies increases, identifying the regulatory mechanisms unique to the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and similarly aberrant receptor pathways will be imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saint-Aaron L Morris
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Suyun Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Program in Cancer Biology, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Mitchell Building BSRB S3.8344, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Fang X, Zhang B, Thisse B, Bloom GS, Thisse C. IQGAP3 is essential for cell proliferation and motility during zebrafish embryonic development. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2015; 72:422-33. [PMID: 26286209 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
IQGAPs are scaffolding proteins that regulate actin assembly, exocyst function, cell motility, morphogenesis, adhesion and division. Vertebrates express 3 family members: IQGAP1, IQGAP2, and IQGAP3. IQGAP1 is known to stimulate nucleation of branched actin filaments through N-WASP and the Arp2/3 complex following direct binding to cytoplasmic tails of ligand-activated growth factor receptors, including EGFR, VEGFR2 and FGFR1. By contrast, little is known about functions of IQGAP2 or IQGAP3. Using in situ hybridization on whole mount zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, we show that IQGAP1 and IQGAP2 are associated with discrete tissues and organs, while IQGAP3 is mainly expressed in proliferative cells throughout embryonic and larval development. Morpholino knockdowns of IQGAP1 and IQGAP2 have little effect on embryo morphology while loss of function of IQGAP3 affects both cell proliferation and cell motility. IQGAP3 morphant phenotypes are similar to those resulting from overexpression of dominant negative forms of Ras or of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1), suggesting that IQGAP3 plays a role in FGFR1-Ras-ERK signaling. In support of this hypothesis, dominant negative forms of FGFR1 or Ras could be rescued by co-injection of zebrafish IQGAP3 mRNA, strongly suggesting that IQGAP3 acts as a downstream regulator of the FGFR1-Ras signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Fang
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Bianhong Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.,Institute of Biomedical Science, School of Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bernard Thisse
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - George S Bloom
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.,Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Christine Thisse
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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Bouldin CM, Manning AJ, Peng YH, Farr GH, Hung KL, Dong A, Kimelman D. Wnt signaling and tbx16 form a bistable switch to commit bipotential progenitors to mesoderm. Development 2015; 142:2499-507. [PMID: 26062939 DOI: 10.1242/dev.124024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Anterior to posterior growth of the vertebrate body is fueled by a posteriorly located population of bipotential neuro-mesodermal progenitor cells. These progenitors have a limited rate of proliferation and their maintenance is crucial for completion of the anterior-posterior axis. How they leave the progenitor state and commit to differentiation is largely unknown, in part because widespread modulation of factors essential for this process causes organism-wide effects. Using a novel assay, we show that zebrafish Tbx16 (Spadetail) is capable of advancing mesodermal differentiation cell-autonomously. Tbx16 locks cells into the mesodermal state by not only activating downstream mesodermal genes, but also by repressing bipotential progenitor genes, in part through a direct repression of sox2. We demonstrate that tbx16 is activated as cells move from an intermediate Wnt environment to a high Wnt environment, and show that Wnt signaling activates the tbx16 promoter. Importantly, high-level Wnt signaling is able to accelerate mesodermal differentiation cell-autonomously, just as we observe with Tbx16. Finally, because our assay for mesodermal commitment is quantitative we are able to show that the acceleration of mesodermal differentiation is surprisingly incomplete, implicating a potential separation of cell movement and differentiation during this process. Together, our data suggest a model in which high levels of Wnt signaling induce a transition to mesoderm by directly activating tbx16, which in turn acts to irreversibly flip a bistable switch, leading to maintenance of the mesodermal fate and repression of the bipotential progenitor state, even as cells leave the initial high-Wnt environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cortney M Bouldin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alyssa J Manning
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yu-Hsuan Peng
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gist H Farr
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - King L Hung
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alice Dong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David Kimelman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Caronia-Brown G, Yoshida M, Gulden F, Assimacopoulos S, Grove EA. The cortical hem regulates the size and patterning of neocortex. Development 2014; 141:2855-65. [PMID: 24948604 DOI: 10.1242/dev.106914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The cortical hem, a source of Wingless-related (WNT) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in the dorsomedial telencephalon, is the embryonic organizer for the hippocampus. Whether the hem is a major regulator of cortical patterning outside the hippocampus has not been investigated. We examined regional organization across the entire cerebral cortex in mice genetically engineered to lack the hem. Indicating that the hem regulates dorsoventral patterning in the cortical hemisphere, the neocortex, particularly dorsomedial neocortex, was reduced in size in late-stage hem-ablated embryos, whereas cortex ventrolateral to the neocortex expanded dorsally. Unexpectedly, hem ablation also perturbed regional patterning along the rostrocaudal axis of neocortex. Rostral neocortical domains identified by characteristic gene expression were expanded, and caudal domains diminished. A similar shift occurs when fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 8 is increased at the rostral telencephalic organizer, yet the FGF8 source was unchanged in hem-ablated brains. Rather we found that hem WNT or BMP signals, or both, have opposite effects to those of FGF8 in regulating transcription factors that control the size and position of neocortical areas. When the hem is ablated a necessary balance is perturbed, and cerebral cortex is rostralized. Our findings reveal a much broader role for the hem in cortical development than previously recognized, and emphasize that two major signaling centers interact antagonistically to pattern cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michio Yoshida
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Forrest Gulden
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Grove
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Rong X, Chen C, Zhou P, Zhou Y, Li Y, Lu L, Liu Y, Zhou J, Duan C. R-spondin 3 regulates dorsoventral and anteroposterior patterning by antagonizing Wnt/β-catenin signaling in zebrafish embryos. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99514. [PMID: 24918770 PMCID: PMC4053527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin or canonical Wnt signaling pathway plays fundamental roles in early development and in maintaining adult tissue homeostasis. R-spondin 3 (Rspo3) is a secreted protein that has been implicated in activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling in amphibians and mammals. Here we report that zebrafish Rspo3 plays a negative role in regulating the zygotic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Zebrafish Rspo3 has a unique domain structure. It contains a third furin-like (FU3) domain. This FU3 is present in other four ray-finned fish species studied but not in elephant shark. In zebrafish, rspo3 mRNA is maternally deposited and has a ubiquitous expression in early embryonic stages. After 12 hpf, its expression becomes tissue-specific. Forced expression of rspo3 promotes dorsoanterior patterning and increases the expression of dorsal and anterior marker genes. Knockdown of rspo3 increases ventral-posterior development and stimulates ventral and posterior marker genes expression. Forced expression of rspo3 abolishes exogenous Wnt3a action and reduces the endogenous Wnt signaling activity. Knockdown of rspo3 results in increased Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity. Further analyses indicate that Rspo3 does not promote maternal Wnt signaling. Human RSPO3 has similar action when tested in zebrafish embryos. These results suggest that Rspo3 regulates dorsoventral and anteroposterior patterning by negatively regulating the zygotic Wnt/β-catenin signaling in zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhi Rong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Pin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yumei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yun Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Ling Lu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yunzhang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs (Ocean University of China), Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- * E-mail: (CD); (JZ)
| | - Cunming Duan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CD); (JZ)
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Bajard L, Morelli LG, Ares S, Pécréaux J, Jülicher F, Oates AC. Wnt-regulated dynamics of positional information in zebrafish somitogenesis. Development 2014; 141:1381-91. [PMID: 24595291 PMCID: PMC3943186 DOI: 10.1242/dev.093435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
How signaling gradients supply positional information in a field of moving cells is an unsolved question in patterning and morphogenesis. Here, we ask how a Wnt signaling gradient regulates the dynamics of a wavefront of cellular change in a flow of cells during somitogenesis. Using time-controlled perturbations of Wnt signaling in the zebrafish embryo, we changed segment length without altering the rate of somite formation or embryonic elongation. This result implies specific Wnt regulation of the wavefront velocity. The observed Wnt signaling gradient dynamics and timing of downstream events support a model for wavefront regulation in which cell flow plays a dominant role in transporting positional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Bajard
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
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Dunty WC, Kennedy MWL, Chalamalasetty RB, Campbell K, Yamaguchi TP. Transcriptional profiling of Wnt3a mutants identifies Sp transcription factors as essential effectors of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in neuromesodermal stem cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87018. [PMID: 24475213 PMCID: PMC3901714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromesodermal (NM) stem cells reside in the primitive streak (PS) of gastrulating vertebrate embryos and generate precursors of the spinal cord and musculoskeletal system. Although Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling is crucial for NM stem cell maintenance and differentiation, few key transcriptional effectors have been identified. Through a concerted transcriptional profiling and genetic approach we have determined that two Zn2+-finger transcription factors, Sp5 and Sp8, are regulated by Wnt3a in the PS, and are essential for neural and musculoskeletal patterning. These results identify Sp5 and Sp8 as pivotal downstream effectors of Wnt3a, and suggest that they are essential for the self-renewal and differentiation of NM stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C. Dunty
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mark W. L. Kennedy
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ravindra B. Chalamalasetty
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Campbell
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Terry P. Yamaguchi
- Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Park DS, Seo JH, Hong M, Bang W, Han JK, Choi SC. Role of Sp5 as an essential early regulator of neural crest specification in xenopus. Dev Dyn 2013; 242:1382-94. [PMID: 24038420 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neural crest (NC) is a multipotent embryonic cell population, which is induced by an integration of secreted signals including BMP, Wnt, and FGF and, subsequently, NC cell fates are specified by a regulatory network of specific transcription factors. This study was undertaken to identify a role of Sp5 transcription factor in vertebrates. RESULTS Xenopus Sp5 is expressed in the prospective neural crest regions from gastrulation through the tadpole stages in early development. Knockdown of Sp5 caused severe defects in craniofacial cartilage, pigmentation, and dorsal fin. Gain- and loss-of-function of Sp5 led to up- and down-regulation of the expression of NC markers in the neural fold, respectively. In contrast, Sp5 had no effect on neural induction and patterning. Sp5 regulated the expression of neural plate border (NPB) specifiers, Msx1 and Pax3, and these regulatory factors recovered the expression of NC marker in the Sp5-deficient embryos. Depletion of Sp5 impaired NC induction by Wnt/β-catenin or FGF signal, whereas its co-expression rescued NC markers in embryos in which either signal was blocked. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that Sp5 functions as a critical early factor in the genetic cascade to regulate NC induction downstream of Wnt and FGF pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Seok Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Full transcriptome analysis of early dorsoventral patterning in zebrafish. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70053. [PMID: 23922899 PMCID: PMC3726443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the molecular interactions that lead to the establishment of the major body axes during embryogenesis is one of the main goals of developmental biology. Although the past two decades have revolutionized our knowledge about the genetic basis of these patterning processes, the list of genes involved in axis formation is unlikely to be complete. In order to identify new genes involved in the establishment of the dorsoventral (DV) axis during early stages of zebrafish embryonic development, we employed next generation sequencing for full transcriptome analysis of normal embryos and embryos lacking overt DV pattern. A combination of different statistical approaches yielded 41 differentially expressed candidate genes and we confirmed by in situ hybridization the early dorsal expression of 32 genes that are transcribed shortly after the onset of zygotic transcription. Although promoter analysis of the validated genes suggests no general enrichment for the binding sites of early acting transcription factors, most of these genes carry “bivalent” epigenetic histone modifications at the time when zygotic transcription is initiated, suggesting a “poised” transcriptional status. Our results reveal some new candidates of the dorsal gene regulatory network and suggest that a plurality of the earliest upregulated genes on the dorsal side have a role in the modulation of the canonical Wnt pathway.
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GRG5/AES interacts with T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) and downregulates Wnt signaling in human cells and zebrafish embryos. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67694. [PMID: 23840876 PMCID: PMC3698143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional control by TCF/LEF proteins is crucial in key developmental processes such as embryo polarity, tissue architecture and cell fate determination. TCFs associate with β-catenin to activate transcription in the presence of Wnt signaling, but in its absence act as repressors together with Groucho-family proteins (GRGs). TCF4 is critical in vertebrate intestinal epithelium, where TCF4-β-catenin complexes are necessary for the maintenance of a proliferative compartment, and their abnormal formation initiates tumorigenesis. However, the extent of TCF4-GRG complexes' roles in development and the mechanisms by which they repress transcription are not completely understood. Here we characterize the interaction between TCF4 and GRG5/AES, a Groucho family member whose functional relationship with TCFs has been controversial. We map the core GRG interaction region in TCF4 to a 111-amino acid fragment and show that, in contrast to other GRGs, GRG5/AES-binding specifically depends on a 4-amino acid motif (LVPQ) present only in TCF3 and some TCF4 isoforms. We further demonstrate that GRG5/AES represses Wnt-mediated transcription both in human cells and zebrafish embryos. Importantly, we provide the first evidence of an inherent repressive function of GRG5/AES in dorsal-ventral patterning during early zebrafish embryogenesis. These results improve our understanding of TCF-GRG interactions, have significant implications for models of transcriptional repression by TCF-GRG complexes, and lay the groundwork for in depth direct assessment of the potential role of Groucho-family proteins in both normal and abnormal development.
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O'Neill K, Thorpe C. BMP signaling and spadetail regulate exit of muscle precursors from the zebrafish tailbud. Dev Biol 2013; 375:117-27. [PMID: 23246591 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Revised: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The tailbud is a population of stem cells in the posterior embryonic tail. During zebrafish development, these stem cells give rise to the main structures of the embryo's posterior body, including the tail somites. Progenitor cells reside in the tailbud for variable amounts of time before they exit and begin to differentiate. There must be a careful balance between cells that leave the tailbud and cells that are held back in order to give rise to later somites. However, this meticulous process is not well understood. A gene that has shed some light on this area is the t-box transcription factor spadetail (spt). When spt is mutated, embryos develop an enlarged tailbud and are only able to form roughly half of their somites. This phenotype is due to the fact that some of the somitic precursors are not able to leave the tailbud or differentiate. Another factor involved in tail morphogenesis is the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway. BMPs are important for many processes during early development, including cell migration. Chordino (chd) is a secreted protein that inhibits BMP signaling. BMPs are upregulated in chd mutants, however, these mutants are able to form organized somites. In embryos where chd and spt are mutated, somites are completely absent. These double mutants also develop a large tailbud due to the accumulation of progenitor cells that are never able to leave or differentiate. To study the dynamics of cells in the tailbud and their role in somite formation, we have analyzed the genetic factors and pathway interactions involved, conducted transplant experiments to look at behavior of mutant cells in different genetic backgrounds, and used time lapse microscopy to characterize cell movements and behavior in wild type and mutant tailbuds. These data suggest that spt expression and BMP inhibition are both required for somitic precursors to exit the tailbud. They also elucidate that chd;spt tailbud mesodermal progenitor cells (MPC) behave autonomously and their dynamics within the tailbud are drastically different than WT MPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn O'Neill
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
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37
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Lawton AK, Nandi A, Stulberg MJ, Dray N, Sneddon MW, Pontius W, Emonet T, Holley SA. Regulated tissue fluidity steers zebrafish body elongation. Development 2013; 140:573-82. [PMID: 23293289 DOI: 10.1242/dev.090381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The tailbud is the posterior leading edge of the growing vertebrate embryo and consists of motile progenitors of the axial skeleton, musculature and spinal cord. We measure the 3D cell flow field of the zebrafish tailbud and identify changes in tissue fluidity revealed by reductions in the coherence of cell motion without alteration of cell velocities. We find a directed posterior flow wherein the polarization between individual cell motion is high, reflecting ordered collective migration. At the posterior tip of the tailbud, this flow makes sharp bilateral turns facilitated by extensive cell mixing due to increased directional variability of individual cell motions. Inhibition of Wnt or Fgf signaling or cadherin 2 function reduces the coherence of the flow but has different consequences for trunk and tail extension. Modeling and additional data analyses suggest that the balance between the coherence and rate of cell flow determines whether body elongation is linear or whether congestion forms within the flow and the body axis becomes contorted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Lawton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Leightner AC, Hommerding CJ, Peng Y, Salisbury JL, Gainullin VG, Czarnecki PG, Sussman CR, Harris PC. The Meckel syndrome protein meckelin (TMEM67) is a key regulator of cilia function but is not required for tissue planar polarity. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:2024-40. [PMID: 23393159 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meckel syndrome (MKS) is a lethal disorder associated with renal cystic disease, encephalocele, ductal plate malformation and polydactyly. MKS is genetically heterogeneous and part of a growing list of syndromes called ciliopathies, disorders resulting from defective cilia. TMEM67 mutation (MKS3) is a major cause of MKS and the related ciliopathy Joubert syndrome, although the complete etiology of the disease is not well understood. To further investigate MKS3, we analyzed phenotypes in the Tmem67 null mouse (bpck) and in zebrafish tmem67 morphants. Phenotypes similar to those in human MKS and other ciliopathy models were observed, with additional eye, skeletal and inner ear abnormalities characterized in the bpck mouse. The observed disorganized stereociliary bundles in the bpck inner ear and the convergent extension defects in zebrafish morphants are similar to those found in planar cell polarity (PCP) mutants, a pathway suggested to be defective in ciliopathies. However, analysis of classical vertebrate PCP readouts in the bpck mouse and ciliary organization analysis in tmem67 morphants did not support a global loss of planar polarity. Canonical Wnt signaling was upregulated in cyst linings and isolated fibroblasts from the bpck mouse, but was unchanged in the retina and cochlea tissue, suggesting that increased Wnt signaling may only be linked to MKS3 phenotypes associated with elevated proliferation. Together, these data suggest that defective cilia loading, but not a global loss of ciliogenesis, basal body docking or PCP signaling leads to dysfunctional cilia in MKS3 tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Leightner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Flowers GP, Topczewska JM, Topczewski J. A zebrafish Notum homolog specifically blocks the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Development 2012; 139:2416-25. [PMID: 22669824 DOI: 10.1242/dev.063206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiple developmental processes require tightly controlled Wnt signaling, and its misregulation leads to congenital abnormalities and diseases. Glypicans are extracellular proteins that modulate the Wnt pathway. In addition to interacting with Wnts, these glycosophosphotidylinositol (GPI)-anchored, heparan-sulfate proteoglycans bind ligands of several other signaling pathways in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In Drosophila, Notum, a secreted α/β-hydrolase, antagonizes the signaling of the prototypical Wnt Wingless (Wg), by releasing glypicans from the cell surface. Studies of mammalian Notum indicate promiscuous target specificity in cell culture, but the role of Notum in vertebrate development has not been studied. Our work shows that zebrafish Notum 1a, an ortholog of mammalian Notum, contributes to a self-regulatory loop that restricts Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Notum 1a does not interact with Glypican 4, an essential component of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. Our results suggest a surprising specific role of Notum in the developing vertebrate embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Parker Flowers
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial Research Center, Children's Plaza 2300, Box 204, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
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Shimizu N, Kawakami K, Ishitani T. Visualization and exploration of Tcf/Lef function using a highly responsive Wnt/β-catenin signaling-reporter transgenic zebrafish. Dev Biol 2012; 370:71-85. [PMID: 22842099 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved Tcf/Lef transcription factors (Lef1, Tcf7, Tcf7l1, and Tcf7l2) mediate gene expression regulated by Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which has multiple roles in early embryogenesis, organogenesis, adult tissue homeostasis, and tissue regeneration. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of Tcf/Lef activity during these events remain poorly understood. We generated stable transgenic zebrafish lines carrying a new Wnt/β-catenin signaling reporter, Tcf/Lef-miniP:dGFP. The reporter revealed the transcriptional activities of four Tcf/Lef members controlled by Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which were expressed in known Wnt/β-catenin signaling-active sites during embryogenesis, organ development and growth, and tissue regeneration. We used the transgenic lines to demonstrate the contribution of Tcf/Lef-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling to the development of the anterior lateral line, dorsal and secondary posterior lateral lines, and gill filaments. Thus, these reporter lines are highly useful tools for studying Tcf/Lef-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling-dependent processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Shimizu
- Division of Cell Regulation Systems, Department of Immunobiology and Neuroscience, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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41
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Abstract
Wnt genes are important regulators of embryogenesis and cell differentiation in vertebrates and insects. New data revealed by comparative genomics have now shown that members of the Wnt signaling pathway can be found in all clades of metazoans, but not in fungi, plants, or unicellular eukaryotes. This article focuses on new data from recent genomic analyses of several basal metazoan organisms, providing evidence that the Wnt pathway was a primordial signaling pathway during evolution. The formation of a Wnt signaling center at the site of gastrulation was instrumental for the formation of a primary, anterior-posterior body axis, which can be traced throughout animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Holstein
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Eckalbar WL, Lasku E, Infante CR, Elsey RM, Markov GJ, Allen AN, Corneveaux JJ, Losos JB, DeNardo DF, Huentelman MJ, Wilson-Rawls J, Rawls A, Kusumi K. Somitogenesis in the anole lizard and alligator reveals evolutionary convergence and divergence in the amniote segmentation clock. Dev Biol 2012; 363:308-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2011] [Revised: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Caron A, Xu X, Lin X. Wnt/β-catenin signaling directly regulates Foxj1 expression and ciliogenesis in zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle. Development 2011; 139:514-24. [PMID: 22190638 DOI: 10.1242/dev.071746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cilia are essential for normal development. The composition and assembly of cilia has been well characterized, but the signaling and transcriptional pathways that govern ciliogenesis remain poorly studied. Here, we report that Wnt/β-catenin signaling directly regulates ciliogenic transcription factor foxj1a expression and ciliogenesis in zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle (KV). We show that Wnt signaling acts temporally and KV cell-autonomously to control left-right (LR) axis determination and ciliogenesis. Specifically, reduction of Wnt signaling leads to a disruption of LR patterning, shorter and fewer cilia, a loss of cilia motility and a downregulation of foxj1a expression. However, these phenotypes can be rescued by KV-targeted overexpression of foxj1a. In comparison to the FGF pathway that has been previously implicated in the control of ciliogenesis, our epistatic studies suggest a more downstream function of Wnt signaling in the regulation of foxj1a expression and ciliogenesis in KV. Importantly, enhancer analysis reveals that KV-specific expression of foxj1a requires the presence of putative Lef1/Tcf binding sites, indicating that Wnt signaling activates foxj1a transcription directly. We also find that impaired Wnt signaling leads to kidney cysts and otolith disorganization, which can be attributed to a loss of foxj1 expression and disrupted ciliogenesis in the developing pronephric ducts and otic vesicles. Together, our data reveal a novel role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling upstream of ciliogenesis, which might be a general developmental mechanism beyond KV. Moreover, our results also prompt a hypothesis that certain developmental effects of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are due to the activation of Foxj1 and cilia formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Caron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Qian GH, Wang YQ. [Wnt signaling pathway and the Evo-Devo of deuterostome axis]. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2011; 33:684-94. [PMID: 22049680 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2011.00684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A series of signal transduction pathways have been found to regulate the polarity establishment and formation of animal primary body axis. Among them, Wnt signaling pathway is extremely conserved and several key components in the pathway have been identified in the demosponge lineage. This implies that it is one of the earliest pathways involved in the ancestral metazoan axis development and might play an important role in specification and development of posterior and ventral fate of animal axis. Recently, with the establishment of functional experiments in vitro, the body plan formation has been found to be affected, in varying degrees, by many genes in the Wnt signaling pathway, such as members of wnt gene family, maternal gene beta-catenin and some transcription factor encoding genes. In this review, we analyzed the evolutionary origin of the wnt gene family involved in development of metazoan body plans, and then made a brief review on the roles of canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in the polarity establishment and formation of primary body axis in diverse deuterostomes including sea urchin, amphioxus, zebrafish, frog, and mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Hui Qian
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
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45
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Identification and mechanism of regulation of the zebrafish dorsal determinant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:15876-80. [PMID: 21911385 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1106801108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, the animal-vegetal axis is determined during oogenesis and at ovulation, the egg is radially symmetric. In anamniotes, following fertilization, a microtubule-dependent movement leads to the displacement of maternal dorsal determinants from the vegetal pole to the future dorsal side of the embryo, providing the initial breaking of radial symmetry [Weaver C, Kimelman D (2004) Development 131:3491-3499]. These dorsal determinants induce β-catenin nuclear translocation in dorsal cells of the blastula. Previous work in amphibians has shown that secreted Wnt11/5a complexes, regulated by the Wnt antagonist Dkk-1, are required for the initiation of embryonic axis formation [Cha et al. (2009) Curr Biol 29:1573-1580]. In the current study, we determined that the vegetal maternal dorsal determinant in fish is not the Wnt11/5a complex but the canonical Wnt, Wnt8a. Translation of this mRNA and secretion of the Wnt8a protein result in a dorsal-to-ventral gradient of Wnt stimulation, extending across the entire embryo. This gradient is counterbalanced by two Wnt inhibitors, Sfrp1a and Frzb. These proteins are essential to restrict the activation of the canonical Wnt pathway to the dorsal marginal blastomeres by defining the domain where the Wnt8a activity gradient is above the threshold value necessary for triggering the canonical β-catenin pathway. In summary, this study establishes that the zebrafish maternal dorsal determinant, Wnt8a, is required to localize the primary dorsal center, and that the extent of this domain is defined by the activity of two maternally provided Wnt antagonists, Sfrp1a and Frzb.
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Krol AJ, Roellig D, Dequéant ML, Tassy O, Glynn E, Hattem G, Mushegian A, Oates AC, Pourquié O. Evolutionary plasticity of segmentation clock networks. Development 2011; 138:2783-92. [PMID: 21652651 DOI: 10.1242/dev.063834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The vertebral column is a conserved anatomical structure that defines the vertebrate phylum. The periodic or segmental pattern of the vertebral column is established early in development when the vertebral precursors, the somites, are rhythmically produced from presomitic mesoderm (PSM). This rhythmic activity is controlled by a segmentation clock that is associated with the periodic transcription of cyclic genes in the PSM. Comparison of the mouse, chicken and zebrafish PSM oscillatory transcriptomes revealed networks of 40 to 100 cyclic genes mostly involved in Notch, Wnt and FGF signaling pathways. However, despite this conserved signaling oscillation, the identity of individual cyclic genes mostly differed between the three species, indicating a surprising evolutionary plasticity of the segmentation networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie J Krol
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
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McGregor AP, Pechmann M, Schwager EE, Damen WG. An ancestral regulatory network for posterior development in arthropods. Commun Integr Biol 2011; 2:174-6. [PMID: 19513274 DOI: 10.4161/cib.7710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2008] [Accepted: 12/23/2008] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A number of recent studies have investigated posterior development in several different arthropods. As previously found in spiders, it has been discovered that Delta-Notch signaling is required for the development of posterior segments in an insect, the cockroach Periplaneta americana. Furthermore analysis of Wnt8 function in the spider Achaearanea tepidariorum and the beetle Tribolium castaneum demonstrates that this Wnt ligand is required for the establishment of the growth zone and development of posterior segments in both these arthropods. Taken together these studies provide an interesting insight into the architecture of the genetic network that regulated posterior development in the common ancestor of the arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair P McGregor
- Institut für Populationsgenetik; Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien; Wien, Austria
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Modulation of Tcf3 repressor complex composition regulates cdx4 expression in zebrafish. EMBO J 2011; 30:2894-907. [PMID: 21666599 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2010] [Accepted: 05/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The caudal homeobox (cdx) gene family is critical for specification of caudal body formation and erythropoiesis. In zebrafish, cdx4 expression is controlled by the Wnt pathway, but the molecular mechanism of this regulation is not fully understood. Here, we provide evidence that Tcf3 suppresses cdx4 expression through direct binding to multiple sites in the cdx4 gene regulatory region. Tcf3 requires corepressor molecules such as Groucho (Gro)/TLE and HDAC1 for activity. Using zebrafish embryos and cultured mammalian cells, we show that the transcription factor E4f1 derepresses cdx4 by dissociating corepressor proteins from Tcf3 without inhibiting its binding to cis-regulatory sites in the DNA. Further, the E3 ubiquitin ligase Lnx2b, acting as a scaffold protein irrespective of its enzymatic activity, counteracts the effects of E4f1. We propose that the modulation of Tcf3 repressor function by E4f1 assures precise and robust regulation of cdx4 expression in the caudal domain of the embryo.
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Narayanan A, Thompson SA, Lee JJ, Lekven AC. A transgenic wnt8a:PAC reporter reveals biphasic regulation of vertebrate mesoderm development. Dev Dyn 2011; 240:898-907. [PMID: 21384472 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anand Narayanan
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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50
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