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De Magalhães CG, Cvekl A, Jaeger RG, Yan CYI. Lens placode modulates extracellular matrix formation during early eye development. Differentiation 2024; 138:100792. [PMID: 38935992 PMCID: PMC11247415 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2024.100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
The role extracellular matrix (ECM) in multiple events of morphogenesis has been well described, little is known about its specific role in early eye development. One of the first morphogenic events in lens development is placodal thickening, which converts the presumptive lens ectoderm from cuboidal to pseudostratified epithelium. This process occurs in the anterior pre-placodal ectoderm when the optic vesicle approaches the cephalic ectoderm and is regulated by transcription factor Pax6 and secreted BMP4. Since cells and ECM have a dynamic relationship of interdependence and modulation, we hypothesized that the ECM evolves with cell shape changes during lens placode formation. This study investigates changes in optic ECM including both protein distribution deposition, extracellular gelatinase activity and gene expression patterns during early optic development using chicken and mouse models. In particular, the expression of Timp2, a metalloprotease inhibitor, corresponds with a decrease in gelatinase activity within the optic ECM. Furthermore, we demonstrate that optic ECM remodeling depends on BMP signaling in the placode. Together, our findings suggest that the lens placode plays an active role in remodeling the optic ECM during early eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecília G De Magalhães
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ruy G Jaeger
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - C Y Irene Yan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
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2
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Rupprecht J, Reiprich S, Baroti T, Christoph C, Sock E, Fröb F, Wegner M. Transcription Factors Sox2 and Sox3 Directly Regulate the Expression of Genes Involved in the Onset of Oligodendrocyte Differentiation. Cells 2024; 13:935. [PMID: 38891067 PMCID: PMC11172379 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid information processing in the central nervous system requires the myelination of axons by oligodendrocytes. The transcription factor Sox2 and its close relative Sox3 redundantly regulate the development of myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we characterized the expression profile of cultured oligodendroglial cells during early differentiation and identified Bcas1, Enpp6, Zfp488 and Nkx2.2 as major downregulated genes upon Sox2 and Sox3 deletion. An analysis of mice with oligodendrocyte-specific deletion of Sox2 and Sox3 validated all four genes as downstream targets in vivo. Additional functional assays identified regulatory regions in the vicinity of each gene that are responsive to and bind both Sox proteins. Bcas1, Enpp6, Zfp488 and Nkx2.2 therefore likely represent direct target genes and major effectors of Sox2 and Sox3. Considering the preferential expression and role of these genes in premyelinating oligodendrocytes, our findings suggest that Sox2 and Sox3 impact oligodendroglial development at the premyelinating stage with Bcas1, Enpp6, Zfp488 and Nkx2.2 as their major effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Franziska Fröb
- Institut für Biochemie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Wegner
- Institut für Biochemie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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3
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De Magalhães CG, Cvekl A, Jaeger RG, Yan CYI. Lens Placode Modulates Extracellular Matrix Formation During Early Eye Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.30.569417. [PMID: 38076974 PMCID: PMC10705410 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The role extracellular matrix (ECM) in multiple events of morphogenesis has been well described, little is known about its specific role in early eye development. One of the first morphogenic events in lens development is placodal thickening, which converts the presumptive lens ectoderm from cuboidal to pseudostratified epithelium. This process occurs in the anterior pre-placodal ectoderm when the optic vesicle approaches the cephalic ectoderm. Since cells and ECM have a dynamic relationship of interdependence and modulation, we hypothesized that the ECM evolves with cell shape changes during lens placode formation. This study investigates changes in optic ECM including both protein distribution deposition, extracellular gelatinase activity and gene expression patterns during early optic development using chicken and mouse models. In particular, the expression of Timp2 , a metalloprotease inhibitor, corresponds with a decrease in gelatinase activity within the optic ECM. Furthermore, we demonstrate that optic ECM remodeling depends on BMP signaling in the placode. Together, our findings suggest that the lens placode plays an active role in remodeling the optic ECM during early eye development.
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4
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Griffin C, Saint-Jeannet JP. In vitro modeling of cranial placode differentiation: Recent advances, challenges, and perspectives. Dev Biol 2024; 506:20-30. [PMID: 38052294 PMCID: PMC10843546 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Cranial placodes are transient ectodermal thickenings that contribute to a diverse array of organs in the vertebrate head. They develop from a common territory, the pre-placodal region that over time segregates along the antero-posterior axis into individual placodal domains: the adenohypophyseal, olfactory, lens, trigeminal, otic, and epibranchial placodes. These placodes terminally differentiate into the anterior pituitary, the lens, and contribute to sensory organs including the olfactory epithelium, and inner ear, as well as several cranial ganglia. To study cranial placodes and their derivatives and generate cells for therapeutic purposes, several groups have turned to in vitro derivation of placodal cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). In this review, we summarize the signaling cues and mechanisms involved in cranial placode induction, specification, and differentiation in vivo, and discuss how this knowledge has informed protocols to derive cranial placodes in vitro. We also discuss the benefits and limitations of these protocols, and the potential of in vitro cranial placode modeling in regenerative medicine to treat cranial placode-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Griffin
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
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5
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Tangeman JA, Rebull SM, Grajales-Esquivel E, Weaver JM, Bendezu-Sayas S, Robinson ML, Lachke SA, Del Rio-Tsonis K. Integrated single-cell multiomics uncovers foundational regulatory mechanisms of lens development and pathology. Development 2024; 151:dev202249. [PMID: 38180241 PMCID: PMC10906490 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Ocular lens development entails epithelial to fiber cell differentiation, defects in which cause congenital cataracts. We report the first single-cell multiomic atlas of lens development, leveraging snRNA-seq, snATAC-seq and CUT&RUN-seq to discover previously unreported mechanisms of cell fate determination and cataract-linked regulatory networks. A comprehensive profile of cis- and trans-regulatory interactions, including for the cataract-linked transcription factor MAF, is established across a temporal trajectory of fiber cell differentiation. Furthermore, we identify an epigenetic paradigm of cellular differentiation, defined by progressive loss of the H3K27 methylation writer Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). PRC2 localizes to heterochromatin domains across master-regulator transcription factor gene bodies, suggesting it safeguards epithelial cell fate. Moreover, we demonstrate that FGF hyper-stimulation in vivo leads to MAF network activation and the emergence of novel lens cell states. Collectively, these data depict a comprehensive portrait of lens fiber cell differentiation, while defining regulatory effectors of cell identity and cataract formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared A. Tangeman
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Sofia M. Rebull
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Erika Grajales-Esquivel
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Jacob M. Weaver
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Stacy Bendezu-Sayas
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Michael L. Robinson
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Salil A. Lachke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | - Katia Del Rio-Tsonis
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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Kuang L, Zhang M, Wang T, Huang T, Li J, Gan R, Yu M, Cao W, Yan X. The molecular genetics of anterior segment dysgenesis. Exp Eye Res 2023; 234:109603. [PMID: 37495069 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109603] [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] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Anterior segment dysgenesis is a severe developmental eye disorder that leads to blindness in children. The exact mechanisms underlying this condition remain elusive. Recently, an increasing amount of studies have focused on genes and signal transduction pathways that affect anterior segment dysgenesis;these factors include transcription factors, developmental regulators, extracellular matrix genes, membrane-related proteins, cytoskeleton proteins and other associated genes. To date, dozens of gene variants have been found to cause anterior segment dysgenesis. However, there is still a lack of effective treatments. With a broader and deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying anterior segment development in the future, gene editing technology and stem cell technology may be new treatments for anterior segment dysgenesis. Further studies on the mechanisms of how different genes influence the onset and progression of anterior segment dysgenesis are still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhao Kuang
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, 518040, China
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232000, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, 518040, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, 518040, China
| | - Jin Li
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, 518040, China
| | - Run Gan
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, 518040, China
| | - Mingyu Yu
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen Eye Hospital), Shenzhen, 518020, China
| | - Wenchao Cao
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen Eye Hospital), Shenzhen, 518020, China
| | - Xiaohe Yan
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, 518040, China.
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Chang W, Zhao Y, Rayêe D, Xie Q, Suzuki M, Zheng D, Cvekl A. Dynamic changes in whole genome DNA methylation, chromatin and gene expression during mouse lens differentiation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2023; 16:4. [PMID: 36698218 PMCID: PMC9875507 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-023-00478-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular differentiation is marked by temporally and spatially coordinated gene expression regulated at multiple levels. DNA methylation represents a universal mechanism to control chromatin organization and its accessibility. Cytosine methylation of CpG dinucleotides regulates binding of methylation-sensitive DNA-binding transcription factors within regulatory regions of transcription, including promoters and distal enhancers. Ocular lens differentiation represents an advantageous model system to examine these processes as lens comprises only two cell types, the proliferating lens epithelium and postmitotic lens fiber cells all originating from the epithelium. RESULTS Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and microdissected lenses, we investigated dynamics of DNA methylation and chromatin changes during mouse lens fiber and epithelium differentiation between embryos (E14.5) and newborns (P0.5). Histone H3.3 variant chromatin landscapes were also generated for both P0.5 lens epithelium and fibers by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Tissue-specific features of DNA methylation patterns are demonstrated via comparative studies with embryonic stem (ES) cells and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) at Nanog, Pou5f1, Sox2, Pax6 and Six3 loci. Comparisons with ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data demonstrate that reduced methylation is associated with increased expression of fiber cell abundant genes, including crystallins, intermediate filament (Bfsp1 and Bfsp2) and gap junction proteins (Gja3 and Gja8), marked by high levels of histone H3.3 within their transcribed regions. Interestingly, Pax6-binding sites exhibited predominantly DNA hypomethylation in lens chromatin. In vitro binding of Pax6 proteins showed Pax6's ability to interact with sites containing one or two methylated CpG dinucleotides. CONCLUSIONS Our study has generated the first data on methylation changes between two different stages of mammalian lens development and linked these data with chromatin accessibility maps, presence of histone H3.3 and gene expression. Reduced DNA methylation correlates with expression of important genes involved in lens morphogenesis and lens fiber cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Chang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Danielle Rayêe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Qing Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Masako Suzuki
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Neurology and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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8
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Cardozo MJ, Sánchez-Bustamante E, Bovolenta P. Optic cup morphogenesis across species and related inborn human eye defects. Development 2023; 150:dev200399. [PMID: 36714981 PMCID: PMC10110496 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate eye is shaped as a cup, a conformation that optimizes vision and is acquired early in development through a process known as optic cup morphogenesis. Imaging living, transparent teleost embryos and mammalian stem cell-derived organoids has provided insights into the rearrangements that eye progenitors undergo to adopt such a shape. Molecular and pharmacological interference with these rearrangements has further identified the underlying molecular machineries and the physical forces involved in this morphogenetic process. In this Review, we summarize the resulting scenarios and proposed models that include common and species-specific events. We further discuss how these studies and those in environmentally adapted blind species may shed light on human inborn eye malformations that result from failures in optic cup morphogenesis, including microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos J. Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Elena Sánchez-Bustamante
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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9
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Akinyemi MO, Finucan J, Grytsay A, Osaiyuwu OH, Adegbaju MS, Ogunade IM, Thomas BN, Peters SO, Morenikeji OB. Molecular Evolution and Inheritance Pattern of Sox Gene Family among Bovidae. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101783. [PMID: 36292668 PMCID: PMC9602320 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Sox genes are an evolutionarily conserved family of transcription factors that play important roles in cellular differentiation and numerous complex developmental processes. In vertebrates, Sox proteins are required for cell fate decisions, morphogenesis, and the control of self-renewal in embryonic and adult stem cells. The Sox gene family has been well-studied in multiple species including humans but there has been scanty or no research into Bovidae. In this study, we conducted a detailed evolutionary analysis of this gene family in Bovidae, including their physicochemical properties, biological functions, and patterns of inheritance. We performed a genome-wide cataloguing procedure to explore the Sox gene family using multiple bioinformatics tools. Our analysis revealed a significant inheritance pattern including conserved motifs that are critical to the ability of Sox proteins to interact with the regulatory regions of target genes and orchestrate multiple developmental and physiological processes. Importantly, we report an important conserved motif, EFDQYL/ELDQYL, found in the SoxE and SoxF groups but not in other Sox groups. Further analysis revealed that this motif sequence accounts for the binding and transactivation potential of Sox proteins. The degree of protein–protein interaction showed significant interactions among Sox genes and related genes implicated in embryonic development and the regulation of cell differentiation. We conclude that the Sox gene family uniquely evolved in Bovidae, with a few exhibiting important motifs that drive several developmental and physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabel O. Akinyemi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ 07940, USA
| | - Jessica Finucan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ 07940, USA
| | - Anastasia Grytsay
- Division of Biological and Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Bradford, PA 16701, USA
| | - Osamede H. Osaiyuwu
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200005, Nigeria
| | - Muyiwa S. Adegbaju
- Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Ibukun M. Ogunade
- Division of Animal and Nutritional Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Bolaji N. Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Sunday O. Peters
- Department of Animal Science, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA 30149, USA
| | - Olanrewaju B. Morenikeji
- Division of Biological and Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Bradford, PA 16701, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(585)-490-7271
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10
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Making a head: Neural crest and ectodermal placodes in cranial sensory development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 138:15-27. [PMID: 35760729 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
During development of the vertebrate sensory system, many important components like the sense organs and cranial sensory ganglia arise within the head and neck. Two progenitor populations, the neural crest, and cranial ectodermal placodes, contribute to these developing vertebrate peripheral sensory structures. The interactions and contributions of these cell populations to the development of the lens, olfactory, otic, pituitary gland, and cranial ganglia are vital for appropriate peripheral nervous system development. Here, we review the origins of both neural crest and placode cells at the neural plate border of the early vertebrate embryo and investigate the molecular and environmental signals that influence specification of different sensory regions. Finally, we discuss the underlying molecular pathways contributing to the complex vertebrate sensory system from an evolutionary perspective, from basal vertebrates to amniotes.
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11
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Abstract
Developing organs are shaped, in part, by physical interaction with their environment in the embryo. In recent years, technical advances in live-cell imaging and material science have greatly expanded our understanding of the mechanical forces driving organ formation. Here, we provide a broad overview of the types of forces generated during embryonic development and then focus on a subset of organs underlying our senses: the eyes, inner ears, nose and skin. The epithelia in these organs emerge from a common origin: the ectoderm germ layer; yet, they arrive at unique and complex forms over developmental time. We discuss exciting recent animal studies that show a crucial role for mechanical forces in, for example, the thickening of sensory placodes, the coiling of the cochlea and the lengthening of hair. Finally, we discuss how microfabricated organoid systems can now provide unprecedented insights into the physical principles of human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Phuong Le
- Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jin Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karl R. Koehler
- Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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12
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Dash S, Brastrom LK, Patel SD, Scott CA, Slusarski DC, Lachke SA. The master transcription factor SOX2, mutated in anophthalmia/microphthalmia, is post-transcriptionally regulated by the conserved RNA-binding protein RBM24 in vertebrate eye development. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:591-604. [PMID: 31814023 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the key transcription factor, SOX2, alone account for 20% of anophthalmia (no eye) and microphthalmia (small eye) birth defects in humans-yet its regulation is not well understood, especially on the post-transcription level. We report the unprecedented finding that the conserved RNA-binding motif protein, RBM24, positively controls Sox2 mRNA stability and is necessary for optimal SOX2 mRNA and protein levels in development, perturbation of which causes ocular defects, including microphthalmia and anophthalmia. RNA immunoprecipitation assay indicates that RBM24 protein interacts with Sox2 mRNA in mouse embryonic eye tissue. and electrophoretic mobility shift assay shows that RBM24 directly binds to the Sox2 mRNA 3'UTR, which is dependent on AU-rich elements (ARE) present in the Sox2 mRNA 3'UTR. Further, we demonstrate that Sox2 3'UTR AREs are necessary for RBM24-based elevation of Sox2 mRNA half-life. We find that this novel RBM24-Sox2 regulatory module is essential for early eye development in vertebrates. We show that Rbm24-targeted deletion using a constitutive CMV-driven Cre in mouse, and rbm24a-CRISPR/Cas9-targeted mutation or morpholino knockdown in zebrafish, results in Sox2 downregulation and causes the developmental defects anophthalmia or microphthalmia, similar to human SOX2-deficiency defects. We further show that Rbm24 deficiency leads to apoptotic defects in mouse ocular tissue and downregulation of eye development markers Lhx2, Pax6, Jag1, E-cadherin and gamma-crystallins. These data highlight the exquisite specificity that conserved RNA-binding proteins like RBM24 mediate in the post-transcriptional control of key transcription factors, namely, SOX2, associated with organogenesis and human developmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Dash
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Lindy K Brastrom
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Shaili D Patel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - C Anthony Scott
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Salil A Lachke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA.,Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
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13
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Holdhof D, Schoof M, Al-Kershi S, Spohn M, Kresbach C, Göbel C, Hellwig M, Indenbirken D, Moreno N, Kerl K, Schüller U. Brahma-related gene 1 has time-specific roles during brain and eye development. Development 2021; 148:268382. [PMID: 34042968 DOI: 10.1242/dev.196147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During development, gene expression is tightly controlled to facilitate the generation of the diverse cell types that form the central nervous system. Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1, also known as Smarca4) is the catalytic subunit of the SWItch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex that regulates transcription. We investigated the role of Brg1 between embryonic day 6.5 (E6.5) and E14.5 in Sox2-positive neural stem cells (NSCs). Being without major consequences at E6.5 and E14.5, loss of Brg1 between E7.5 and E12.5 resulted in the formation of rosette-like structures in the subventricular zone, as well as morphological alterations and enlargement of neural retina (NR). Additionally, Brg1-deficient cells showed decreased survival in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we uncovered distinct changes in gene expression upon Brg1 loss, pointing towards impaired neuron functions, especially those involving synaptic communication and altered composition of the extracellular matrix. Comparison with mice deficient for integrase interactor 1 (Ini1, also known as Smarcb1) revealed that the enlarged NR was Brg1 specific and was not caused by a general dysfunction of the SWI/SNF complex. These results suggest a crucial role for Brg1 in NSCs during brain and eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dörthe Holdhof
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Schoof
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sina Al-Kershi
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Spohn
- Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.,Bioinformatics Facility, University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Catena Kresbach
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carolin Göbel
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Malte Hellwig
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Indenbirken
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Natalia Moreno
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Kornelius Kerl
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schüller
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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14
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Errichiello E, Zagnoli-Vieira G, Rizzi R, Garavelli L, Caldecott KW, Zuffardi O. Characterization of a novel loss-of-function variant in TDP2 in two adult patients with spinocerebellar ataxia autosomal recessive 23 (SCAR23). J Hum Genet 2020; 65:1135-1141. [PMID: 32651480 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-020-0800-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
TDP2 encodes a 5'-tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase required for the efficient repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by the abortive activity of DNA topoisomerase II (TOP2). To date, only three homozygous variants in TDP2 have been reported in six patients from four unrelated pedigrees with spinocerebellar ataxia 23 (SCAR23). By whole-exome sequencing, we identified a novel TDP2 splice-site variant (c.636 + 3_636 + 6del) in two Italian siblings (aged 40 and 45) showing progressive ataxia, intellectual disability, speech delay, refractory seizures, and various physical anomalies. The variant caused exon 5 skipping with consequent nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and defective repair of TOP2-induced DSBs, as demonstrated by the functional assays on the patients' fibroblasts. Our findings further demonstrate the pathogenic role of TDP2 biallelic loss-of-function variants in SCAR23 pathogenesis. Considering the age of our patients, the oldest reported to date, and their extensive follow-up, our study delineates in more detail the clinical phenotype related to the loss of TDP2 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Errichiello
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | | | - Romana Rizzi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuro-Motor Diseases, Azienda USL-IRCCS Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Livia Garavelli
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Azienda USL-IRCCS Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Keith W Caldecott
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK
- Department of Genome Dynamics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v.v.i, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Orsetta Zuffardi
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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15
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Liu Y, Yang M, Deng Y, Su G, Enninful A, Guo CC, Tebaldi T, Zhang D, Kim D, Bai Z, Norris E, Pan A, Li J, Xiao Y, Halene S, Fan R. High-Spatial-Resolution Multi-Omics Sequencing via Deterministic Barcoding in Tissue. Cell 2020; 183:1665-1681.e18. [PMID: 33188776 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 372] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We present deterministic barcoding in tissue for spatial omics sequencing (DBiT-seq) for co-mapping of mRNAs and proteins in a formaldehyde-fixed tissue slide via next-generation sequencing (NGS). Parallel microfluidic channels were used to deliver DNA barcodes to the surface of a tissue slide, and crossflow of two sets of barcodes, A1-50 and B1-50, followed by ligation in situ, yielded a 2D mosaic of tissue pixels, each containing a unique full barcode AB. Application to mouse embryos revealed major tissue types in early organogenesis as well as fine features like microvasculature in a brain and pigmented epithelium in an eye field. Gene expression profiles in 10-μm pixels conformed into the clusters of single-cell transcriptomes, allowing for rapid identification of cell types and spatial distributions. DBiT-seq can be adopted by researchers with no experience in microfluidics and may find applications in a range of fields including developmental biology, cancer biology, neuroscience, and clinical pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mingyu Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yanxiang Deng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Graham Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Archibald Enninful
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Cindy C Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Toma Tebaldi
- Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Dongjoo Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Zhiliang Bai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Eileen Norris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Alisia Pan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jiatong Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Stephanie Halene
- Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Rong Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Human and Translational Immunology Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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16
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Liu Z, Wang R, Lin H, Liu Y. Lens regeneration in humans: using regenerative potential for tissue repairing. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1544. [PMID: 33313289 PMCID: PMC7729322 DOI: 10.21037/atm-2019-rcs-03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The crystalline lens is an important optic element in human eyes. It is transparent and biconvex, refracting light and accommodating to form a clear retinal image. The lens originates from the embryonic ectoderm. The epithelial cells at the lens equator proliferate, elongate and differentiate into highly aligned lens fiber cells, which are the structural basis for maintaining the transparency of the lens. Cataract refers to the opacity of the lens. Currently, the treatment of cataract is to remove the opaque lens and implant an intraocular lens (IOL). This strategy is inappropriate for children younger than 2 years, because a developing eyeball is prone to have severe complications such as inflammatory proliferation and secondary glaucoma. On the other hand, the absence of the crystalline lens greatly affects visual function rehabilitation. The researchers found that mammalian lenses possess regenerative potential. We identified lens stem cells through linear tracking experiments and designed a minimally invasive lens-content removal surgery (MILS) to remove the opaque lens material while preserving the lens capsule, stem cells and microenvironment. In infants with congenital cataract, functional lens regeneration in situ can be observed after MILS, and the prognosis of visual function is better than that of traditional surgery. Because of insufficient regenerative ability in humans, the morphology and volume of the regenerated lens cannot reach the level of a normal lens. The activation, proliferation and differentiation of lens stem cells and the alignment of lens fibers are regulated by epigenetic factors, growth factors, transcription factors, immune system and other signals and their interactions. The construction of appropriate microenvironment can accelerate lens regeneration and improve its morphology. The therapeutic concept of MILS combined with microenvironment manipulation to activate endogenous stem cells for functional regeneration of organs in situ can be extended to other tissues and organs with strong self-renewal and repair ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruixin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haotian Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yizhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Wüst HM, Wegener A, Fröb F, Hartwig AC, Wegwitz F, Kari V, Schimmel M, Tamm ER, Johnsen SA, Wegner M, Sock E. Egr2-guided histone H2B monoubiquitination is required for peripheral nervous system myelination. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:8959-8976. [PMID: 32672815 PMCID: PMC7498331 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Schwann cells are the nerve ensheathing cells of the peripheral nervous system. Absence, loss and malfunction of Schwann cells or their myelin sheaths lead to peripheral neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in humans. During Schwann cell development and myelination chromatin is dramatically modified. However, impact and functional relevance of these modifications are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed histone H2B monoubiquitination as one such chromatin modification by conditionally deleting the Rnf40 subunit of the responsible E3 ligase in mice. Rnf40-deficient Schwann cells were arrested immediately before myelination or generated abnormally thin, unstable myelin, resulting in a peripheral neuropathy characterized by hypomyelination and progressive axonal degeneration. By combining sequencing techniques with functional studies we show that H2B monoubiquitination does not influence global gene expression patterns, but instead ensures selective high expression of myelin and lipid biosynthesis genes and proper repression of immaturity genes. This requires the specific recruitment of the Rnf40-containing E3 ligase by Egr2, the central transcriptional regulator of peripheral myelination, to its target genes. Our study identifies histone ubiquitination as essential for Schwann cell myelination and unravels new disease-relevant links between chromatin modifications and transcription factors in the underlying regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Wüst
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Amélie Wegener
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Fröb
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna C Hartwig
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Florian Wegwitz
- Department of General, Visceral, and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vijayalakshmi Kari
- Department of General, Visceral, and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Margit Schimmel
- Institut für Humananatomie und Embryologie, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ernst R Tamm
- Institut für Humananatomie und Embryologie, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Steven A Johnsen
- Department of General, Visceral, and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Molecular Epigenetics Lab, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Michael Wegner
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Sock
- Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
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18
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Zan Y, Carlborg Ö. Dynamic genetic architecture of yeast response to environmental perturbation shed light on origin of cryptic genetic variation. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008801. [PMID: 32392218 PMCID: PMC7241848 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptic genetic variation could arise from, for example, Gene-by-Gene (G-by-G) or Gene-by-Environment (G-by-E) interactions. The underlying molecular mechanisms and how they influence allelic effects and the genetic variance of complex traits is largely unclear. Here, we empirically explored the role of environmentally influenced epistasis on the suppression and release of cryptic variation by reanalysing a dataset of 4,390 haploid yeast segregants phenotyped on 20 different media. The focus was on 130 epistatic loci, each contributing to segregant growth in at least one environment and that together explained most (69–100%) of the narrow sense heritability of growth in the individual environments. We revealed that the epistatic growth network reorganised upon environmental changes to alter the estimated marginal (additive) effects of the individual loci, how multi-locus interactions contributed to individual segregant growth and the level of expressed genetic variance in growth. The estimated additive effects varied most across environments for loci that were highly interactive network hubs in some environments but had few or no interactors in other environments, resulting in changes in total genetic variance across environments. This environmentally dependent epistasis was thus an important mechanism for the suppression and release of cryptic variation in this population. Our findings increase the understanding of the complex genetic mechanisms leading to cryptic variation in populations, providing a basis for future studies on the genetic maintenance of trait robustness and development of genetic models for studying and predicting selection responses for quantitative traits in breeding and evolution. Many biological traits are polygenic, with complex interplay between underlying genes and the surrounding environment. As a result, individuals with the same allele might have distinctive phenotypes due to differences in the polygenic background and/or the environment. Such differences often create additional genetic variation that is highly relevant to quantitative and evolutionary genetics by limiting our ability to accurately predict the phenotypes in medical or agricultural applications and providing opportunities for long term evolution. Previously, yeast growth regulating genes were found to be organised in large interacting networks. Here, we found that these networks were reorganised upon environmental changes, and that this resulted in altered effect sizes of individual genes, and how the whole network contributed to growth and the level of total genetic variance, providing a basis for future studies on the genetic maintenance of trait robustness and development of genetic models for studying and predicting selection responses for quantitative traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Zan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Örjan Carlborg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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19
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Li L, Cui YJ, Zou Y, Yang L, Yin X, Li B, Yan L. Genetic association study of SOX2 gene polymorphisms with high myopia in a Chinese population. Eur J Ophthalmol 2020; 31:734-739. [PMID: 32037877 DOI: 10.1177/1120672120904666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study is to investigate whether SOX2 gene variants were associated with high myopia in a Chinese population. METHODS This study is conducted using case-control association analysis. This study recruited 83 healthy controls (with binocular spherical equivalent between -0.50 and +0.50 D) and 117 high myopia cases (spherical equivalent > -6.00 D in both eyes). Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms were selected from HapMap database for genotyping by direct sequencing. Statistical software (SPSS 22.0) was used for statistical analysis. The chi-square test was used to examine the difference in the frequency between cases and controls. RESULTS Genotype distributions in the three single-nucleotide polymorphisms were all in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The differences of rs4575941 locus genotype frequency and allele frequency between the case group and the control group were statistically significant (p = .043 and p = .029, respectively). The rs4575941 allele G frequency in the high myopia group was significantly higher than that in the control group with an odds ratio value of 1.579. However, the value of a chi-square test for the trend was 0.029, and after Bonferroni test, the p value was .087. CONCLUSION In Chinese population, rs4575941 in SOX2 gene was likely to play some roles in the genetic susceptibility to high myopia; the rs4575941 allele G might be a risk gene for high myopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Langzhong People's Hospital, Langzhong, China
| | - Ying Juan Cui
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yunchun Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Liyuan Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Ximin Yin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Liying Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, China
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20
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Huilgol D, Venkataramani P, Nandi S, Bhattacharjee S. Transcription Factors That Govern Development and Disease: An Achilles Heel in Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E794. [PMID: 31614829 PMCID: PMC6826716 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Development requires the careful orchestration of several biological events in order to create any structure and, eventually, to build an entire organism. On the other hand, the fate transformation of terminally differentiated cells is a consequence of erroneous development, and ultimately leads to cancer. In this review, we elaborate how development and cancer share several biological processes, including molecular controls. Transcription factors (TF) are at the helm of both these processes, among many others, and are evolutionarily conserved, ranging from yeast to humans. Here, we discuss four families of TFs that play a pivotal role and have been studied extensively in both embryonic development and cancer-high mobility group box (HMG), GATA, paired box (PAX) and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) in the context of their role in development, cancer, and their conservation across several species. Finally, we review TFs as possible therapeutic targets for cancer and reflect on the importance of natural resistance against cancer in certain organisms, yielding knowledge regarding TF function and cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhananjay Huilgol
- Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY 11724, USA.
| | | | - Saikat Nandi
- Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY 11724, USA.
| | - Sonali Bhattacharjee
- Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY 11724, USA.
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21
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Disatham J, Chauss D, Gheyas R, Brennan L, Blanco D, Daley L, Menko AS, Kantorow M. Lens differentiation is characterized by stage-specific changes in chromatin accessibility correlating with differentiation state-specific gene expression. Dev Biol 2019; 453:86-104. [PMID: 31136738 PMCID: PMC6667291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Changes in chromatin accessibility regulate the expression of multiple genes by controlling transcription factor access to key gene regulatory sequences. Here, we sought to establish a potential function for altered chromatin accessibility in control of key gene expression events during lens cell differentiation by establishing genome-wide chromatin accessibility maps specific for four distinct stages of lens cell differentiation and correlating specific changes in chromatin accessibility with genome-wide changes in gene expression. ATAC sequencing was employed to generate chromatin accessibility profiles that were correlated with the expression profiles of over 10,000 lens genes obtained by high-throughput RNA sequencing at the same stages of lens cell differentiation. Approximately 90,000 regions of the lens genome exhibited distinct changes in chromatin accessibility at one or more stages of lens differentiation. Over 1000 genes exhibited high Pearson correlation coefficients (r > 0.7) between altered expression levels at specific stages of lens cell differentiation and changes in chromatin accessibility in potential promoter (-7.5kbp/+2.5kbp of the transcriptional start site) and/or other potential cis-regulatory regions ( ±10 kb of the gene body). Analysis of these regions identified consensus binding sequences for multiple transcription factors including members of the TEAD, FOX, and NFAT families of transcription factors as well as HIF1a, RBPJ and IRF1. Functional mapping of genes with high correlations between altered chromatin accessibility and differentiation state-specific gene expression changes identified multiple families of proteins whose expression could be regulated through changes in chromatin accessibility including those governing lens structure (BFSP1,BFSP2), gene expression (Pax-6, Sox 2), translation (TDRD7), cell-cell communication (GJA1), autophagy (FYCO1), signal transduction (SMAD3, EPHA2), and lens transparency (CRYBB1, CRYBA4). These data provide a novel relationship between altered chromatin accessibility and lens differentiation and they identify a wide-variety of lens genes and functions that could be regulated through altered chromatin accessibility. The data also point to a large number of potential DNA regulatory sequences and transcription factors whose functional analysis is likely to provide insight into novel regulatory mechanisms governing the lens differentiation program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Disatham
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Daniel Chauss
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rifah Gheyas
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Brennan
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - David Blanco
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Lauren Daley
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - A Sue Menko
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marc Kantorow
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
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22
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Zhao Y, Zheng D, Cvekl A. Profiling of chromatin accessibility and identification of general cis-regulatory mechanisms that control two ocular lens differentiation pathways. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:27. [PMID: 31053165 PMCID: PMC6498704 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Promoters and enhancers are cis-regulatory DNA sequences that control specificity and quantity of transcription. Both are rich on clusters of cis-acting sites that interact with sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs). At the level of chromatin, these regions display increased nuclease sensitivity, reduced nucleosome density, including nucleosome-free regions, and specific combinations of posttranslational modifications of core histone proteins. Together, "open" and "closed" chromatins represent transcriptionally active and repressed states of individual genes, respectively. Cellular differentiation is marked by changes in local chromatin structure. Lens morphogenesis, regulated by TF Pax6, includes differentiation of epithelial precursor cells into lens fibers in parallel with differentiation of epithelial precursors into the mature lens epithelium. RESULTS Using ATAC-seq, we investigated dynamics of chromatin changes during mouse lens fibers and epithelium differentiation. Tissue-specific features of these processes are demonstrated via comparative studies of embryonic stem cells, forebrain, and liver chromatins. Unbiased analysis reveals cis-regulatory logic of lens differentiation through known (e.g., AP-1, Ets, Hsf4, Maf, and Pax6 sites) and novel (e.g., CTCF, Tead, and NF1) motifs. Twenty-six DNA-binding TFs, recognizing these cis-motifs, are markedly up-regulated in differentiating lens fibers. As specific examples, our ATAC-seq data uncovered both the regulatory regions and TF binding motifs in Foxe3, Prox1, and Mip loci that are consistent with previous, though incomplete, experimental data. A cross-examination of Pax6 binding with ATAC-seq data demonstrated that Pax6 bound to both open (H3K27ac and P300-enriched) and closed chromatin domains in lens and forebrain. CONCLUSIONS Our study has generated the first lens chromatin accessibility maps that support a general model of stage-specific chromatin changes associated with transcriptional activities of batteries of genes required for lens fiber cell formation. Analysis of active (or open) promoters and enhancers reveals important cis-DNA motifs that establish the molecular foundation for temporally and spatially regulated gene expression in lens. Together, our data and models open new avenues for the field to conduct mechanistic studies of transcriptional control regions, reconstruction of gene regulatory networks that govern lens morphogenesis, and identification of cataract-causing mutations in noncoding sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Zhao
- The Departments of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- The Departments of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Neurology and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- The Departments of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
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23
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Mercurio S, Serra L, Motta A, Gesuita L, Sanchez-Arrones L, Inverardi F, Foglio B, Barone C, Kaimakis P, Martynoga B, Ottolenghi S, Studer M, Guillemot F, Frassoni C, Bovolenta P, Nicolis SK. Sox2 Acts in Thalamic Neurons to Control the Development of Retina-Thalamus-Cortex Connectivity. iScience 2019; 15:257-273. [PMID: 31082736 PMCID: PMC6517317 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual system development involves the formation of neuronal projections connecting the retina to the thalamic dorso-lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) and the thalamus to the visual cerebral cortex. Patients carrying mutations in the SOX2 transcription factor gene present severe visual defects, thought to be linked to SOX2 functions in the retina. We show that Sox2 is strongly expressed in mouse postmitotic thalamic projection neurons. Cre-mediated deletion of Sox2 in these neurons causes reduction of the dLGN, abnormal distribution of retino-thalamic and thalamo-cortical projections, and secondary defects in cortical patterning. Reduced expression, in mutants, of Sox2 target genes encoding ephrin-A5 and the serotonin transport molecules SERT and vMAT2 (important for establishment of thalamic connectivity) likely provides a molecular contribution to these defects. These findings unveil thalamic SOX2 function as a novel regulator of visual system development and a plausible additional cause of brain-linked genetic blindness in humans. Sox2 is expressed in postmitotic neurons of the visual thalamic nucleus (dLGN) Sox2 ablation in the dLGN perturbs retino-thalamic and thalamo-cortical projections The visual cortex is not correctly patterned in Sox2 thalamic mutants Downregulation of EphrinA5 and SERT expression may mediate these defects
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mercurio
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Linda Serra
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy; Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France
| | - Alessia Motta
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gesuita
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Luisa Sanchez-Arrones
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesca Inverardi
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", c/o AMADEOLAB, via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Benedetta Foglio
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", c/o AMADEOLAB, via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Cristiana Barone
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Polynikis Kaimakis
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ben Martynoga
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW 1AT, UK
| | - Sergio Ottolenghi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Carolina Frassoni
- Clinical and Experimental Epileptology Unit, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", c/o AMADEOLAB, via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia K Nicolis
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy.
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24
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Vetrivel S, Tiso N, Kügler A, Irmler M, Horsch M, Beckers J, Hladik D, Giesert F, Gailus-Durner V, Fuchs H, Sabrautzki S, Hrabě de Angelis M, Graw J. Mutation in the mouse histone gene Hist2h3c1 leads to degeneration of the lens vesicle and severe microphthalmia. Exp Eye Res 2019; 188:107632. [PMID: 30991053 PMCID: PMC6876282 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
During an ENU (N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea) mutagenesis screen, we observed a dominant small-eye mutant mouse with viable homozygotes. A corresponding mutant line was established and referred to as Aey69 (abnormality of the eye #69). Comprehensive phenotyping of the homozygous Aey69 mutants in the German Mouse Clinic revealed only a subset of statistically significant alterations between wild types and homozygous mutants. The mutation causes microphthalmia without a lens but with retinal hyperproliferation. Linkage was demonstrated to mouse chromosome 3 between the markers D3Mit188 and D3Mit11. Sequencing revealed a 358 A-> C mutation (Ile120Leu) in the Hist2h3c1 gene and a 71 T-> C (Val24Ala) mutation in the Gja8 gene. Detailed analysis of eye development in the homozygous mutant mice documented a perturbed lens development starting from the lens vesicle stage including decreasing expression of crystallins as well as of lens-specific transcription factors like PITX3 and FOXE3. In contrast, we observed an early expression of retinal progenitor cells characterized by several markers including BRN3 (retinal ganglion cells) and OTX2 (cone photoreceptors). The changes in the retina at the early embryonic stages of E11.5-E15.5 happen in parallel with apoptotic processes in the lens at the respective stages. The excessive retinal hyperproliferation is characterized by an increased level of Ki67. The hyperproliferation, however, does not disrupt the differentiation and appearance of the principal retinal cell types at postnatal stages, even if the overgrowing retina covers finally the entire bulbus of the eye. Morpholino-mediated knock-down of the hist2h3ca1 gene in zebrafish leads to a specific perturbation of lens development. When injected into zebrafish zygotes, only the mutant mouse mRNA leads to severe malformations, ranging from cyclopia to severe microphthalmia. The wild-type Hist2h3c1 mRNA can rescue the morpholino-induced defects corroborating its specific function in lens development. Based upon these data, it is concluded that the ocular function of the Hist2h3c1 gene (encoding a canonical H3.2 variant) is conserved throughout evolution. Moreover, the data highlight also the importance of Hist2h3c1 in the coordinated formation of lens and retina during eye development. A dominant small-eye mutant mouse is caused by a mutation in the histone gene Hist2H3c1. Morpholino-mediated knock-down of hist2h3ca1 in the zebrafish validated this finding. The mutation leads to degeneration of the lens vesicle and retina hyperproliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmilee Vetrivel
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Developmental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, I-35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Andrea Kügler
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Developmental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Irmler
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marion Horsch
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Beckers
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, D-85354 Freising, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Daniela Hladik
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Developmental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Florian Giesert
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Developmental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Valerie Gailus-Durner
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Helmut Fuchs
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sibylle Sabrautzki
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Research Unit Comparative Medicine, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabě de Angelis
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, D-85354 Freising, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Graw
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Developmental Genetics, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
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25
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Guelfi S, Botia JA, Thom M, Ramasamy A, Perona M, Stanyer L, Martinian L, Trabzuni D, Smith C, Walker R, Ryten M, Reimers M, Weale ME, Hardy J, Matarin M. Transcriptomic and genetic analyses reveal potential causal drivers for intractable partial epilepsy. Brain 2019; 142:1616-1630. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Guelfi
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Juan A. Botia
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- Departamento de Ingeniería de la Información y las Comunicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Maria Thom
- Division of Neuropathology, UCL Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | | | - Marina Perona
- Department of Radiobiology (CAC), National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Lee Stanyer
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Lillian Martinian
- Departamento de Ingeniería de la Información y las Comunicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniah Trabzuni
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Colin Smith
- Academic Department of Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert Walker
- Academic Department of Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mina Ryten
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Mark Reimers
- Neuroscience Program and Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Michael E. Weale
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Mar Matarin
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3, UK
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26
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Frum T, Murphy TM, Ralston A. HIPPO signaling resolves embryonic cell fate conflicts during establishment of pluripotency in vivo. eLife 2018; 7:42298. [PMID: 30526858 PMCID: PMC6289571 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian development, the challenge for the embryo is to override intrinsic cellular plasticity to drive cells to distinct fates. Here, we unveil novel roles for the HIPPO signaling pathway in controlling cell positioning and expression of Sox2, the first marker of pluripotency in the mouse early embryo. We show that maternal and zygotic YAP1 and WWTR1 repress Sox2 while promoting expression of the trophectoderm gene Cdx2 in parallel. Yet, Sox2 is more sensitive than Cdx2 to Yap1/Wwtr1 dosage, leading cells to a state of conflicted cell fate when YAP1/WWTR1 activity is moderate. Remarkably, HIPPO signaling activity resolves conflicted cell fate by repositioning cells to the interior of the embryo, independent of its role in regulating Sox2 expression. Rather, HIPPO antagonizes apical localization of Par complex components PARD6B and aPKC. Thus, negative feedback between HIPPO and Par complex components ensure robust lineage segregation. As an embryo develops, its cells divide, grow and migrate in specific patterns to build an organized collection of cells that go on to form our tissues and organs. One of the first steps – well before the embryo has implanted into the womb – is to allocate cells to make part of the placenta. Once this process is complete, the remaining cells continue building the organism. These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can develop into any part of the body. Scientists think that the embryo manages to sort ‘placenta cells’ from pluripotent ones with the help of certain proteins, which the mother has packaged into her eggs. To investigate this further, Frum et al. used genetic tools to track a specific gene called Sox2 that identifies pluripotent cells as soon as they are formed in mouse embryos. The experiments revealed that the mother places two closely related proteins known as YAP1 and WWTR1 within each egg, which help to make placenta cells different from pluripotent cells. Moreover, both proteins enable the embryo to segregate these two cell types to two different locations: placenta cells are moved to the outer layer of the embryo, while pluripotent cells are moved to the inside. Current technologies allow researchers to create pluripotent cells in the laboratory. But these approaches often result in error, failing to replicate the embryo’s natural ability. By studying how embryos form and arrange pluripotent cells, scientists hope to advance stem cell technology (which emerge from pluripotent cells). This may help to find new ways to heal damaged tissues and organs, or to treat or even prevent many diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Frum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
| | - Tayler M Murphy
- Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States.,Reproductive and Developmental Biology Training Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
| | - Amy Ralston
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States.,Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States.,Reproductive and Developmental Biology Training Program, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
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27
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Cohen-Tayar Y, Cohen H, Mitiagin Y, Abravanel Z, Levy C, Idelson M, Reubinoff B, Itzkovitz S, Raviv S, Kaestner KH, Blinder P, Elkon R, Ashery-Padan R. Pax6 regulation of Sox9 in the mouse retinal pigmented epithelium controls its timely differentiation and choroid vasculature development. Development 2018; 145:dev.163691. [PMID: 29986868 DOI: 10.1242/dev.163691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The synchronized differentiation of neuronal and vascular tissues is crucial for normal organ development and function, although there is limited information about the mechanisms regulating the coordinated development of these tissues. The choroid vasculature of the eye serves as the main blood supply to the metabolically active photoreceptors, and develops together with the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). Here, we describe a novel regulatory relationship between the RPE transcription factors Pax6 and Sox9 that controls the timing of RPE differentiation and the adjacent choroid maturation. We used a novel machine learning algorithm tool to analyze high resolution imaging of the choroid in Pax6 and Sox9 conditional mutant mice. Additional unbiased transcriptomic analyses in mutant mice and RPE cells generated from human embryonic stem cells, as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput analyses, revealed secreted factors that are regulated by Pax6 and Sox9. These factors might be involved in choroid development and in the pathogenesis of the common blinding disease: age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamit Cohen-Tayar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Hadar Cohen
- Department of Particle Physics, Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yulia Mitiagin
- Department of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics school, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Zohar Abravanel
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Carmit Levy
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Masha Idelson
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin Reubinoff
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shalev Itzkovitz
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shaul Raviv
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Klaus H Kaestner
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 12-126 Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6145, USA
| | - Pablo Blinder
- Department of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics school, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ran Elkon
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel .,Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel .,Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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28
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Emmerson E, May AJ, Berthoin L, Cruz-Pacheco N, Nathan S, Mattingly AJ, Chang JL, Ryan WR, Tward AD, Knox SM. Salivary glands regenerate after radiation injury through SOX2-mediated secretory cell replacement. EMBO Mol Med 2018; 10:e8051. [PMID: 29335337 PMCID: PMC5840548 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201708051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Salivary gland acinar cells are routinely destroyed during radiation treatment for head and neck cancer that results in a lifetime of hyposalivation and co-morbidities. A potential regenerative strategy for replacing injured tissue is the reactivation of endogenous stem cells by targeted therapeutics. However, the identity of these cells, whether they are capable of regenerating the tissue, and the mechanisms by which they are regulated are unknown. Using in vivo and ex vivo models, in combination with genetic lineage tracing and human tissue, we discover a SOX2+ stem cell population essential to acinar cell maintenance that is capable of replenishing acini after radiation. Furthermore, we show that acinar cell replacement is nerve dependent and that addition of a muscarinic mimetic is sufficient to drive regeneration. Moreover, we show that SOX2 is diminished in irradiated human salivary gland, along with parasympathetic nerves, suggesting that tissue degeneration is due to loss of progenitors and their regulators. Thus, we establish a new paradigm that salivary glands can regenerate after genotoxic shock and do so through a SOX2 nerve-dependent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Emmerson
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alison J May
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lionel Berthoin
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Noel Cruz-Pacheco
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara Nathan
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron J Mattingly
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jolie L Chang
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William R Ryan
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron D Tward
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Knox
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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29
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Gou Y, Guo J, Maulding K, Riley BB. sox2 and sox3 cooperate to regulate otic/epibranchial placode induction in zebrafish. Dev Biol 2018; 435:84-95. [PMID: 29355522 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Expression of sox3 is one of the earliest markers of Fgf-dependent otic/epibranchial placode induction. We report here that sox2 is also expressed in the early otic/epibranchial placode in zebrafish. To address functions of sox2 and sox3, we generated knockouts and heat shock-inducible transgenes. Mutant analysis, and low-level misexpression, showed that sox2 and sox3 act redundantly to establish a full complement of otic/epibranchial cells. Disruption of pax8, another early regulator, caused similar placodal deficiencies to sox3 mutants or pax8-sox3 double mutants, suggesting that sox3 and pax8 operate in the same pathway. High-level misexpression of sox2 or sox3 during early stages cell-autonomously blocked placode induction, whereas misexpression several hours later could not reverse placodal differentiation. In an assay for ectopic placode-induction, we previously showed that misexpression of fgf8 induces a high level of ectopic sox3, but not pax8. Partial knockdown of sox3 significantly enhanced ectopic induction of pax8, whereas full knockdown of sox3 inhibited this process. Together these findings show that sox2 and sox3 are together required for proper otic induction, but the level of expression must be tightly regulated to avoid suppression of differentiation and maintenance of pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunzi Gou
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Jinbai Guo
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Kirstin Maulding
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Bruce B Riley
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States.
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30
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Cvekl A, Zhang X. Signaling and Gene Regulatory Networks in Mammalian Lens Development. Trends Genet 2017; 33:677-702. [PMID: 28867048 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ocular lens development represents an advantageous system in which to study regulatory mechanisms governing cell fate decisions, extracellular signaling, cell and tissue organization, and the underlying gene regulatory networks. Spatiotemporally regulated domains of BMP, FGF, and other signaling molecules in late gastrula-early neurula stage embryos generate the border region between the neural plate and non-neural ectoderm from which multiple cell types, including lens progenitor cells, emerge and undergo initial tissue formation. Extracellular signaling and DNA-binding transcription factors govern lens and optic cup morphogenesis. Pax6, c-Maf, Hsf4, Prox1, Sox1, and a few additional factors regulate the expression of the lens structural proteins, the crystallins. Extensive crosstalk between a diverse array of signaling pathways controls the complexity and order of lens morphogenetic processes and lens transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ales Cvekl
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Xin Zhang
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Functional non-coding polymorphism in an EPHA2 promoter PAX2 binding site modifies expression and alters the MAPK and AKT pathways. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9992. [PMID: 28855599 PMCID: PMC5577203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10117-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
To identify possible genetic variants influencing expression of EPHA2 (Ephrin-receptor Type-A2), a tyrosine kinase receptor that has been shown to be important for lens development and to contribute to both congenital and age related cataract when mutated, the extended promoter region of EPHA2 was screened for variants. SNP rs6603883 lies in a PAX2 binding site in the EPHA2 promoter region. The C (minor) allele decreased EPHA2 transcriptional activity relative to the T allele by reducing the binding affinity of PAX2. Knockdown of PAX2 in human lens epithelial (HLE) cells decreased endogenous expression of EPHA2. Whole RNA sequencing showed that extracellular matrix (ECM), MAPK-AKT signaling pathways and cytoskeleton related genes were dysregulated in EPHA2 knockdown HLE cells. Taken together, these results indicate a functional non-coding SNP in EPHA2 promoter affects PAX2 binding and reduces EPHA2 expression. They further suggest that decreasing EPHA2 levels alters MAPK, AKT signaling pathways and ECM and cytoskeletal genes in lens cells that could contribute to cataract. These results demonstrate a direct role for PAX2 in EPHA2 expression and help delineate the role of EPHA2 in development and homeostasis required for lens transparency.
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Emmerson E, May AJ, Nathan S, Cruz-Pacheco N, Lizama CO, Maliskova L, Zovein AC, Shen Y, Muench MO, Knox SM. SOX2 regulates acinar cell development in the salivary gland. eLife 2017. [PMID: 28623666 PMCID: PMC5498133 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinar cells play an essential role in the secretory function of exocrine organs. Despite this requirement, how acinar cells are generated during organogenesis is unclear. Using the acini-ductal network of the developing human and murine salivary gland, we demonstrate an unexpected role for SOX2 and parasympathetic nerves in generating the acinar lineage that has broad implications for epithelial morphogenesis. Despite SOX2 being expressed by progenitors that give rise to both acinar and duct cells, genetic ablation of SOX2 results in a failure to establish acini but not ducts. Furthermore, we show that SOX2 targets acinar-specific genes and is essential for the survival of acinar but not ductal cells. Finally, we illustrate an unexpected and novel role for peripheral nerves in the creation of acini throughout development via regulation of SOX2. Thus, SOX2 is a master regulator of the acinar cell lineage essential to the establishment of a functional organ. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26620.001 The salivary glands produce fluid that contains enzymes to help us to digest our food. These glands contain a tree-like network of cells – known as acinar cells – that produce the fluid, and cells that form ducts to transport the fluid out of the glands. Both types of cells form from stem cells as animal embryos develop. Like all developing organs, the salivary glands receive many different signals that guide how they grow. However, the identity of the cues that instruct a stem cell to produce a new acinar cell or duct cell are not known. Emmerson et al. studied how the salivary glands develop in mouse embryos. The experiments show that a protein called SOX2 – which is an essential regulator of stem cells in embryos – is required for acinar cells to form. Loss of SOX2 inhibited the production of acinar but not duct cells. Furthermore, nerves that surround the gland provide support to cells that produce SOX2 and promote the formation of acinar cells. Further experiments suggest that the nerves also play the same role in humans. Adult organs often use developmental signals to repair or regenerate tissue. As such, understanding how an organ develops may lead to new therapies that can stimulate salivary glands and other organs to regenerate after they have been damaged in adults. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26620.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Emmerson
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Alison J May
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Sara Nathan
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Noel Cruz-Pacheco
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Carlos O Lizama
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Lenka Maliskova
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Ann C Zovein
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Yin Shen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Marcus O Muench
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, United States
| | - Sarah M Knox
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
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Analysis of expression of transcription factors in early human retina. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 60:94-102. [PMID: 28377129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The retina originates in the central nervous system. Due to its accessibility and simplicity, the retina has become an invaluable model for studying the basic mechanisms involved in development. To date, considerable knowledge regarding the interactions among genes that coordinate retinal development has been gained from extensive research in model animals. However, our understanding of retinal development in humans remains undeveloped. Here, we analyze the expression of transcription factors that are involved in the early development of the retina in human embryos at 6-12 weeks post-conception. Our work demonstrates that early developing neural retinas can be divided into two layers, the outer and inner neuroblast layers. Eye-field transcription factors and those related to the early development of the retina have distinct expression patterns in the two layers. Cell-type-specific transcription factors emerge at 8 weeks. These data provide clear and systemic structures for early retinal development in human.
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Iida H, Yang T, Yasugi S, Ishii Y. Temporal dissociation of developmental events in the chick eye under low temperature conditions. Dev Growth Differ 2016; 58:741-749. [PMID: 27921294 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12330] [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: 11/05/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The chick embryonic eye is an excellent model for the study of vertebrate organogenesis. Key events in eye development involve thickening, invagination and cytodifferentiation of the lens primordium. While these events occur successively at different developmental stages, the extent to which these events are temporally related is largely unknown. Here we show that the lens invagination is highly sensitive to temperature. Lowering of incubation temperature to 29°C at embryonic day 2 delayed the onset of invagination of the lens, but not thickening and cytodifferentiation, leading to abnormal protrusion of the eye. The temperature shift also delayed the inward bending of the underlying retinal primordium, even in the absence of the lens. Taken together, our results suggest that lens invagination is initiated independently of thickening and cytodifferentiation, possibly by mechanisms associated with morphogenesis of the primordial retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Iida
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555, Japan
| | - Tiantian Yang
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555, Japan
| | - Sadao Yasugi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555, Japan.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555, Japan
| | - Yasuo Ishii
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555, Japan
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The Gene Regulatory Network of Lens Induction Is Wired through Meis-Dependent Shadow Enhancers of Pax6. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006441. [PMID: 27918583 PMCID: PMC5137874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Lens induction is a classical developmental model allowing investigation of cell specification, spatiotemporal control of gene expression, as well as how transcription factors are integrated into highly complex gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Pax6 represents a key node in the gene regulatory network governing mammalian lens induction. Meis1 and Meis2 homeoproteins are considered as essential upstream regulators of Pax6 during lens morphogenesis based on their interaction with the ectoderm enhancer (EE) located upstream of Pax6 transcription start site. Despite this generally accepted regulatory pathway, Meis1-, Meis2- and EE-deficient mice have surprisingly mild eye phenotypes at placodal stage of lens development. Here, we show that simultaneous deletion of Meis1 and Meis2 in presumptive lens ectoderm results in arrested lens development in the pre-placodal stage, and neither lens placode nor lens is formed. We found that in the presumptive lens ectoderm of Meis1/Meis2 deficient embryos Pax6 expression is absent. We demonstrate using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) that in addition to EE, Meis homeoproteins bind to a remote, ultraconserved SIMO enhancer of Pax6. We further show, using in vivo gene reporter analyses, that the lens-specific activity of SIMO enhancer is dependent on the presence of three Meis binding sites, phylogenetically conserved from man to zebrafish. Genetic ablation of EE and SIMO enhancers demostrates their requirement for lens induction and uncovers an apparent redundancy at early stages of lens development. These findings identify a genetic requirement for Meis1 and Meis2 during the early steps of mammalian eye development. Moreover, they reveal an apparent robustness in the gene regulatory mechanism whereby two independent "shadow enhancers" maintain critical levels of a dosage-sensitive gene, Pax6, during lens induction.
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36
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Zhang SJ, Li YF, Tan RR, Tsoi B, Huang WS, Huang YH, Tang XL, Hu D, Yao N, Yang X, Kurihara H, Wang Q, He RR. A new gestational diabetes mellitus model: hyperglycemia-induced eye malformation via inhibition of Pax6 in the chick embryo. Dis Model Mech 2016; 9:177-86. [PMID: 26744353 PMCID: PMC4770145 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.022012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the leading causes of fetal malformations. However, few models have been developed to study the underlying mechanisms of GDM-induced fetal eye malformation. In this study, a high concentration of glucose (0.2 mmol per egg) was injected into the air sac of chick embryos on embryo development day (EDD) 1 to develop a hyperglycemia model. Results showed that 47.3% of embryonic eye malformation happened on EDD 5. In this model, the key genes regulating eye development, Pax6, Six3 and Otx2, were downregulated by hyperglycemia. Among these genes, the expression of Pax6 was the most vulnerable to hyperglycemia, being suppressed by 70%. A reduction in Pax6 gene expression induced eye malformation in chick embryos. However, increased expression of Pax6 in chick embryos could rescue hyperglycemia-induced eye malformation. Hyperglycemia stimulated O-linked N-acetylglucosaminylation, which caused oxidative stress in chick embryos. Pax6 was found to be vulnerable to free radicals, but the antioxidant edaravone could restore Pax6 expression and reverse eye malformation. These results illustrated a successful establishment of a new chick embryo model to study the molecular mechanism of hyperglycemia-induced eye malformation. The suppression of the Pax6 gene is probably mediated by oxidative stress and could be a crucial target for the therapy of GDM-induced embryonic eye malformation. Summary: Hyperglycemia inhibited Pax6 via oxidative stress and impaired eye development in the chick embryo, a new gestational diabetes mellitus model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Jie Zhang
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yi-Fang Li
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Rui-Rong Tan
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Bun Tsoi
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wen-Shan Huang
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yi-Hua Huang
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiao-Long Tang
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Dan Hu
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Nan Yao
- Guangdong Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Manufacturing Technology, Guangzhou 510095, China
| | - Xuesong Yang
- Division of Histology & Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Hiroshi Kurihara
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Rong-Rong He
- Anti-stress and Health Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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Suzuki IK, Vanderhaeghen P. Is this a brain which I see before me? Modeling human neural development with pluripotent stem cells. Development 2016; 142:3138-50. [PMID: 26395142 DOI: 10.1242/dev.120568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The human brain is arguably the most complex structure among living organisms. However, the specific mechanisms leading to this complexity remain incompletely understood, primarily because of the poor experimental accessibility of the human embryonic brain. Over recent years, technologies based on pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have been developed to generate neural cells of various types. While the translational potential of PSC technologies for disease modeling and/or cell replacement therapies is usually put forward as a rationale for their utility, they are also opening novel windows for direct observation and experimentation of the basic mechanisms of human brain development. PSC-based studies have revealed that a number of cardinal features of neural ontogenesis are remarkably conserved in human models, which can be studied in a reductionist fashion. They have also revealed species-specific features, which constitute attractive lines of investigation to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of the human brain, and its link with evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuo K Suzuki
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IRIBHM), and ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), 808 Route de Lennik, Brussels B-1070, Belgium
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IRIBHM), and ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), 808 Route de Lennik, Brussels B-1070, Belgium WELBIO, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, Brussels B-1070, Belgium
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38
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Beccari L, Marco-Ferreres R, Tabanera N, Manfredi A, Souren M, Wittbrodt B, Conte I, Wittbrodt J, Bovolenta P. A trans-Regulatory Code for the Forebrain Expression of Six3.2 in the Medaka Fish. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:26927-26942. [PMID: 26378230 PMCID: PMC4646366 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.681254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A well integrated and hierarchically organized gene regulatory network is responsible for the progressive specification of the forebrain. The transcription factor Six3 is one of the central components of this network. As such, Six3 regulates several components of the network, but its upstream regulators are still poorly characterized. Here we have systematically identified such regulators, taking advantage of the detailed functional characterization of the regulatory region of the medaka fish Six3.2 ortholog and of a time/cost-effective trans-regulatory screening, which complemented and overcame the limitations of in silico prediction approaches. The candidates resulting from this search were validated with dose-response luciferase assays and expression pattern criteria. Reconfirmed candidates with a matching expression pattern were also tested with chromatin immunoprecipitation and functional studies. Our results confirm the previously proposed direct regulation of Pax6 and further demonstrate that Msx2 and Pbx1 are bona fide direct regulators of early Six3.2 distribution in distinct domains of the medaka fish forebrain. They also point to other transcription factors, including Tcf3, as additional regulators of different spatial-temporal domains of Six3.2 expression. The activity of these regulators is discussed in the context of the gene regulatory network proposed for the specification of the forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Beccari
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain,; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain; Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid, 28002, Spain,.
| | - Raquel Marco-Ferreres
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain,; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain; Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid, 28002, Spain
| | - Noemi Tabanera
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain,; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain; Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid, 28002, Spain
| | - Anna Manfredi
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid, 28002, Spain
| | - Marcel Souren
- the Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beate Wittbrodt
- the Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ivan Conte
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid, 28002, Spain,; the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, Naples, 80078, Italy
| | - Jochen Wittbrodt
- the Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain,; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolas Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain; Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Dr. Arce 37, Madrid, 28002, Spain,.
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Arya P, Rainey MA, Bhattacharyya S, Mohapatra BC, George M, Kuracha MR, Storck MD, Band V, Govindarajan V, Band H. The endocytic recycling regulatory protein EHD1 Is required for ocular lens development. Dev Biol 2015; 408:41-55. [PMID: 26455409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The C-terminal Eps15 homology domain-containing (EHD) proteins play a key role in endocytic recycling, a fundamental cellular process that ensures the return of endocytosed membrane components and receptors back to the cell surface. To define the in vivo biological functions of EHD1, we have generated Ehd1 knockout mice and previously reported a requirement of EHD1 for spermatogenesis. Here, we show that approximately 56% of the Ehd1-null mice displayed gross ocular abnormalities, including anophthalmia, aphakia, microphthalmia and congenital cataracts. Histological characterization of ocular abnormalities showed pleiotropic defects that include a smaller or absent lens, persistence of lens stalk and hyaloid vasculature, and deformed optic cups. To test whether these profound ocular defects resulted from the loss of EHD1 in the lens or in non-lenticular tissues, we deleted the Ehd1 gene selectively in the presumptive lens ectoderm using Le-Cre. Conditional Ehd1 deletion in the lens resulted in developmental defects that included thin epithelial layers, small lenses and absence of corneal endothelium. Ehd1 deletion in the lens also resulted in reduced lens epithelial proliferation, survival and expression of junctional proteins E-cadherin and ZO-1. Finally, Le-Cre-mediated deletion of Ehd1 in the lens led to defects in corneal endothelial differentiation. Taken together, these data reveal a unique role for EHD1 in early lens development and suggest a previously unknown link between the endocytic recycling pathway and regulation of key developmental processes including proliferation, differentiation and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Arya
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985805 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5805, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA.
| | - Mark A Rainey
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA.
| | - Sohinee Bhattacharyya
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA; Department of Pathology & Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA.
| | - Bhopal C Mohapatra
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985870 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA.
| | - Manju George
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA.
| | - Murali R Kuracha
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Matthew D Storck
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA.
| | - Vimla Band
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985805 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5805, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA.
| | - Venkatesh Govindarajan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Hamid Band
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985805 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5805, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, NE 68198-5950, USA; Department of Pathology & Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985900 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985870 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA.
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Sun J, Rockowitz S, Chauss D, Wang P, Kantorow M, Zheng D, Cvekl A. Chromatin features, RNA polymerase II and the comparative expression of lens genes encoding crystallins, transcription factors, and autophagy mediators. Mol Vis 2015; 21:955-73. [PMID: 26330747 PMCID: PMC4551281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Gene expression correlates with local chromatin structure. Our studies have mapped histone post-translational modifications, RNA polymerase II (pol II), and transcription factor Pax6 in lens chromatin. These data represent the first genome-wide insights into the relationship between lens chromatin structure and lens transcriptomes and serve as an excellent source for additional data analysis and refinement. The principal lens proteins, the crystallins, are encoded by predominantly expressed mRNAs; however, the regulatory mechanisms underlying their high expression in the lens remain poorly understood. METHODS The formaldehyde-assisted identification of regulatory regions (FAIRE-Seq) was employed to analyze newborn lens chromatin. ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data published earlier (GSE66961) have been used to assist in FAIRE-seq data interpretation. RNA transcriptomes from murine lens epithelium, lens fibers, erythrocytes, forebrain, liver, neurons, and pancreas were compared to establish the gene expression levels of the most abundant mRNAs versus median gene expression across other differentiated cells. RESULTS Normalized RNA expression data from multiple tissues show that crystallins rank among the most highly expressed genes in mammalian cells. These findings correlate with the extremely high abundance of pol II all across the crystallin loci, including crystallin genes clustered on chromosomes 1 and 5, as well as within regions of "open" chromatin, as identified by FAIRE-seq. The expression levels of mRNAs encoding DNA-binding transcription factors (e.g., Foxe3, Hsf4, Maf, Pax6, Prox1, Sox1, and Tfap2a) revealed that their transcripts form "clusters" of abundant mRNAs in either lens fibers or lens epithelium. The expression of three autophagy regulatory mRNAs, encoding Tfeb, FoxO1, and Hif1α, was found within a group of lens preferentially expressed transcription factors compared to the E12.5 forebrain. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals novel features of lens chromatin, including the remarkably high abundance of pol II at the crystallin loci that exhibit features of "open" chromatin. Hsf4 ranks among the most abundant fiber cell-preferred DNA-binding transcription factors. Notable transcripts, including Atf4, Ctcf, E2F4, Hey1, Hmgb1, Mycn, RXRβ, Smad4, Sp1, and Taf1 (transcription factors) and Ctsd, Gabarapl1, and Park7 (autophagy regulators) have been identified with high levels of expression in lens fibers, which suggests specific roles in lens fiber cell terminal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY,Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Shira Rockowitz
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Daniel Chauss
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Marc Kantorow
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY,Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY,Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY,Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
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She ZY, Yang WX. SOX family transcription factors involved in diverse cellular events during development. Eur J Cell Biol 2015; 94:547-63. [PMID: 26340821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In metazoa, SOX family transcription factors play many diverse roles. In vertebrate, they are well-known regulators of numerous developmental processes. Wide-ranging studies have demonstrated the co-expression of SOX proteins in various developing tissues and that they occur in an overlapping manner and show functional redundancy. In particular, studies focusing on the HMG box of SOX proteins have revealed that the HMG box regulates DNA-binding properties, and mediates both the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX proteins and their physical interactions with partner proteins. Posttranslational modifications are further implicated in the regulation of the transcriptional activities of SOX proteins. In this review, we discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the SOX-partner factor interactions and the functional modes of SOX-partner complexes during development. We particularly emphasize the representative roles of the SOX group proteins in major tissues during developmental and physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu She
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wan-Xi Yang
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Mellough CB, Collin J, Khazim M, White K, Sernagor E, Steel DHW, Lako M. IGF-1 Signaling Plays an Important Role in the Formation of Three-Dimensional Laminated Neural Retina and Other Ocular Structures From Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cells 2015; 33:2416-30. [PMID: 25827910 PMCID: PMC4691326 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We and others have previously demonstrated that retinal cells can be derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells under defined culture conditions. While both cell types can give rise to retinal derivatives in the absence of inductive cues, this requires extended culture periods and gives lower overall yield. Further understanding of this innate differentiation ability, the identification of key factors that drive the differentiation process, and the development of clinically compatible culture conditions to reproducibly generate functional neural retina is an important goal for clinical cell based therapies. We now report that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) can orchestrate the formation of three-dimensional ocular-like structures from hESCs which, in addition to retinal pigmented epithelium and neural retina, also contain primitive lens and corneal-like structures. Inhibition of IGF-1 receptor signaling significantly reduces the formation of optic vesicle and optic cups, while exogenous IGF-1 treatment enhances the formation of correctly laminated retinal tissue composed of multiple retinal phenotypes that is reminiscent of the developing vertebrate retina. Most importantly, hESC-derived photoreceptors exhibit advanced maturation features such as the presence of primitive rod- and cone-like photoreceptor inner and outer segments and phototransduction-related functional responses as early as 6.5 weeks of differentiation, making these derivatives promising candidates for cell replacement studies and in vitro disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla B. Mellough
- Institute of Genetic MedicineNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
| | - Joseph Collin
- Institute of Genetic MedicineNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
| | - Mahmoud Khazim
- Institute of Genetic MedicineNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
- Institute of NeuroscienceNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
| | - Kathryn White
- EM Research Services, Newcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
| | - Evelyne Sernagor
- Institute of NeuroscienceNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
| | - David H. W. Steel
- Institute of Genetic MedicineNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
- Sunderland Eye InfirmarySunderlandUnited Kingdom
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Institute of Genetic MedicineNewcastle UniversityNewcastleUnited Kingdom
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Carpenter AC, Smith AN, Wagner H, Cohen-Tayar Y, Rao S, Wallace V, Ashery-Padan R, Lang RA. Wnt ligands from the embryonic surface ectoderm regulate 'bimetallic strip' optic cup morphogenesis in mouse. Development 2015; 142:972-82. [PMID: 25715397 PMCID: PMC4352985 DOI: 10.1242/dev.120022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin response pathway is central to many developmental processes. Here, we assessed the role of Wnt signaling in early eye development using the mouse as a model system. We showed that the surface ectoderm region that includes the lens placode expressed 12 out of 19 possible Wnt ligands. When these activities were suppressed by conditional deletion of wntless (Le-cre; Wlsfl/fl) there were dramatic consequences that included a saucer-shaped optic cup, ventral coloboma, and a deficiency of periocular mesenchyme. This phenotype shared features with that produced when the Wnt/β-catenin pathway co-receptor Lrp6 is mutated or when retinoic acid (RA) signaling in the eye is compromised. Consistent with this, microarray and cell fate marker analysis identified a series of expression changes in genes known to be regulated by RA or by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Using pathway reporters, we showed that Wnt ligands from the surface ectoderm directly or indirectly elicit a Wnt/β-catenin response in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) progenitors near the optic cup rim. In Le-cre; Wlsfl/fl mice, the numbers of RPE cells are reduced and this can explain, using the principle of the bimetallic strip, the curvature of the optic cup. These data thus establish a novel hypothesis to explain how differential cell numbers in a bilayered epithelium can lead to shape change. Summary: During optic cup morphogenesis, Wnt ligands expressed in the surface ectoderm control cell proliferation in the retinal pigmented epithelium, and thus influence bending of the neural retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- April C Carpenter
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - April N Smith
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Heidi Wagner
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Yamit Cohen-Tayar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Sujata Rao
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Valerie Wallace
- Vision Science Research Program, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Richard A Lang
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Abstract
Morphogenesis is the developmental process by which tissues and organs acquire the shape that is critical to their function. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that drive morphogenesis in the developing eye. These investigations have shown that regulation of the actin cytoskeleton is central to shaping the presumptive lens and retinal epithelia that are the major components of the eye. Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton is mediated by Rho family GTPases, by signaling pathways and indirectly, by transcription factors that govern the expression of critical genes. Changes in the actin cytoskeleton can shape cells through the generation of filopodia (that, in the eye, connect adjacent epithelia) or through apical constriction, a process that produces a wedge-shaped cell. We have also learned that one tissue can influence the shape of an adjacent one, probably by direct force transmission, in a process we term inductive morphogenesis. Though these mechanisms of morphogenesis have been identified using the eye as a model system, they are likely to apply broadly where epithelia influence the shape of organs during development.
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Breau MA, Schneider-Maunoury S. Cranial placodes: models for exploring the multi-facets of cell adhesion in epithelial rearrangement, collective migration and neuronal movements. Dev Biol 2014; 401:25-36. [PMID: 25541234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Key to morphogenesis is the orchestration of cell movements in the embryo, which requires fine-tuned adhesive interactions between cells and their close environment. The neural crest paradigm has provided important insights into how adhesion dynamics control epithelium-to-mesenchyme transition and mesenchymal cell migration. Much less is known about cranial placodes, patches of ectodermal cells that generate essential parts of vertebrate sensory organs and ganglia. In this review, we summarise the known functions of adhesion molecules in cranial placode morphogenesis, and discuss potential novel implications of adhesive interactions in this crucial developmental process. The great repertoire of placodal cell behaviours offers new avenues for exploring the multiple roles of adhesion complexes in epithelial remodelling, collective migration and neuronal movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Anne Breau
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, IBPS-UMR7622, F-75005 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR7622, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS) - Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, U1156, F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Sylvie Schneider-Maunoury
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, IBPS-UMR7622, F-75005 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR7622, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS) - Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, U1156, F-75005 Paris, France
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47
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Cvekl A, Ashery-Padan R. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of vertebrate lens development. Development 2014; 141:4432-47. [PMID: 25406393 PMCID: PMC4302924 DOI: 10.1242/dev.107953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ocular lens is a model system for understanding important aspects of embryonic development, such as cell specification and the spatiotemporally controlled formation of a three-dimensional structure. The lens, which is characterized by transparency, refraction and elasticity, is composed of a bulk mass of fiber cells attached to a sheet of lens epithelium. Although lens induction has been studied for over 100 years, recent findings have revealed a myriad of extracellular signaling pathways and gene regulatory networks, integrated and executed by the transcription factor Pax6, that are required for lens formation in vertebrates. This Review summarizes recent progress in the field, emphasizing the interplay between the diverse regulatory mechanisms employed to form lens progenitor and precursor cells and highlighting novel opportunities to fill gaps in our understanding of lens tissue morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Cvekl
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Sackler School of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, 69978 Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Wicklow E, Blij S, Frum T, Hirate Y, Lang RA, Sasaki H, Ralston A. HIPPO pathway members restrict SOX2 to the inner cell mass where it promotes ICM fates in the mouse blastocyst. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004618. [PMID: 25340657 PMCID: PMC4207610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent epiblast (EPI) cells, present in the inner cell mass (ICM) of the mouse blastocyst, are progenitors of both embryonic stem (ES) cells and the fetus. Discovering how pluripotency genes regulate cell fate decisions in the blastocyst provides a valuable way to understand how pluripotency is normally established. EPI cells are specified by two consecutive cell fate decisions. The first decision segregates ICM from trophectoderm (TE), an extraembryonic cell type. The second decision subdivides ICM into EPI and primitive endoderm (PE), another extraembryonic cell type. Here, we investigate the roles and regulation of the pluripotency gene Sox2 during blastocyst formation. First, we investigate the regulation of Sox2 patterning and show that SOX2 is restricted to ICM progenitors prior to blastocyst formation by members of the HIPPO pathway, independent of CDX2, the TE transcription factor that restricts Oct4 and Nanog to the ICM. Second, we investigate the requirement for Sox2 in cell fate specification during blastocyst formation. We show that neither maternal (M) nor zygotic (Z) Sox2 is required for blastocyst formation, nor for initial expression of the pluripotency genes Oct4 or Nanog in the ICM. Rather, Z Sox2 initially promotes development of the primitive endoderm (PE) non cell-autonomously via FGF4, and then later maintains expression of pluripotency genes in the ICM. The significance of these observations is that 1) ICM and TE genes are spatially patterned in parallel prior to blastocyst formation and 2) both the roles and regulation of Sox2 in the blastocyst are unique compared to other pluripotency factors such as Oct4 or Nanog. Pluripotent stem cells can give rise to any cell type in the body, making them an attractive tool for regenerative medicine. Pluripotent stem cells can be derived from the mammalian embryo at the blastocyst stage or they can be created from mature adult cells by reprogramming. During reprogramming, SOX2 helps establish pluripotency, but it is not clear how SOX2 establishes pluripotency in the blastocyst. We evaluated where SOX2 is present, how SOX2 is regulated, and where SOX2 is active during blastocyst formation. Our data show that the roles and the regulation of SOX2 are unique compared to other pluripotency/reprogramming factors, such as OCT4 and NANOG. SOX2 marks pluripotent cells earlier than do other factors, but does not regulate pluripotency until several days later. Rather, the earlier role of SOX2 is to help establish the yolk sac lineage, which is essential for gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eryn Wicklow
- Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Blij
- Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Tristan Frum
- Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Yoshikazu Hirate
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Richard A. Lang
- Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Hiroshi Sasaki
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Amy Ralston
- Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kerr CL, Zaveri MA, Robinson ML, Williams T, West-Mays JA. AP-2α is required after lens vesicle formation to maintain lens integrity. Dev Dyn 2014; 243:1298-309. [PMID: 24753151 PMCID: PMC7962590 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factors are critical in regulating lens development. The AP-2 family of transcription factors functions in differentiation, cell growth and apoptosis, and in lens and eye development. AP-2α, in particular, is important in early lens development, and when conditionally deleted at the placode stage defective separation of the lens vesicle from the surface ectoderm results. AP-2α's role during later stages of lens development is unknown. To address this, the MLR10-Cre transgene was used to delete AP-2α from the lens epithelium beginning at embryonic day (E) 10.5. RESULTS The loss of AP-2α after lens vesicle separation resulted in morphological defects beginning at E18.5. By P4, a small highly vacuolated lens with a multilayered epithelium was evident in the MLR10-AP-2α mutants. Epithelial cells appeared elongated and expressed fiber cell specific βB1 and γ-crystallins. Epithelial cell polarity and lens cell adhesion was disrupted and accompanied by the misexpression of ZO-1, N-Cadherin, and β-catenin. Cell death was observed in the mutant lens epithelium between postnatal day (P) 14 and P30, and correlated with altered arrangements of cells within the epithelium. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that AP-2α continues to be required after lens vesicle separation to maintain a normal lens epithelial cell phenotype and overall lens integrity and to ensure correct fiber cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L. Kerr
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University Health Science Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mizna A. Zaveri
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University Health Science Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Trevor Williams
- Department of Craniofacial Biology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Judith A. West-Mays
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University Health Science Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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50
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Zhang Y, Zhang X, Lu H. Aberrant activation of p53 due to loss of MDM2 or MDMX causes early lens dysmorphogenesis. Dev Biol 2014; 396:19-30. [PMID: 25263199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although forming a heterodimer or heterooligomer is essential for MDM2 and MDMX to fully control p53 during early embryogenesis, deletion of either MDM2 or MDMX in specific tissues using the loxp-Cre system reveals phenotypic diversity during organ morphogenesis, which can be completely rescued by loss of p53, suggesting the spatiotemporal independence and specificity of the regulation of p53 by MDM2 and MDMX. In this study, we investigated the role of the MDM2-MDMX-p53 pathway in the developing lens that is a relatively independent region integrating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Using the mice expressing Cre recombinase specifically in the lens epithelial cells (LECs) beginning at E9.5, we demonstrated that deletion of either MDM2 or MDMX induces apoptosis of LEC and reduces cell proliferation, resulting in lens developmental defect that finally progresses into aphakia. Specifically, the lens defect caused by MDM2 deletion was evident at E10, occurring earlier than that caused by MDMX deletion. These lens defects were completely rescued by loss of two alleles of p53, but not one allele of p53. These results demonstrate that both MDM2 and MDMX are required for monitoring p53 activity during lens development, and they may function independently or synergistically to control p53 and maintain normal lens morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Xin Zhang
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, 635 W. 165th Street, EI902A, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Hua Lu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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