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Radaszkiewicz KA, Sulcova M, Kohoutkova E, Harnos J. The role of prickle proteins in vertebrate development and pathology. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:1199-1221. [PMID: 37358815 PMCID: PMC11116189 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04787-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Prickle is an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins exclusively associated with planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling. This signalling pathway provides directional and positional cues to eukaryotic cells along the plane of an epithelial sheet, orthogonal to both apicobasal and left-right axes. Through studies in the fruit fly Drosophila, we have learned that PCP signalling is manifested by the spatial segregation of two protein complexes, namely Prickle/Vangl and Frizzled/Dishevelled. While Vangl, Frizzled, and Dishevelled proteins have been extensively studied, Prickle has been largely neglected. This is likely because its role in vertebrate development and pathologies is still being explored and is not yet fully understood. The current review aims to address this gap by summarizing our current knowledge on vertebrate Prickle proteins and to cover their broad versatility. Accumulating evidence suggests that Prickle is involved in many developmental events, contributes to homeostasis, and can cause diseases when its expression and signalling properties are deregulated. This review highlights the importance of Prickle in vertebrate development, discusses the implications of Prickle-dependent signalling in pathology, and points out the blind spots or potential links regarding Prickle, which could be studied further.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Radaszkiewicz
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia
| | - M Sulcova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia
| | - E Kohoutkova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia
| | - J Harnos
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia.
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2
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Rubio S, Molinuevo R, Sanz-Gomez N, Zomorrodinia T, Cockrum CS, Luong E, Rivas L, Cadle K, Menendez J, Hinck L. Nuclear VANGL2 Inhibits Lactogenic Differentiation. Cells 2024; 13:222. [PMID: 38334614 PMCID: PMC10854645 DOI: 10.3390/cells13030222] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) proteins coordinate tissue morphogenesis by governing cell patterning and polarity. Asymmetrically localized on the plasma membrane of cells, transmembrane PCP proteins are trafficked by endocytosis, suggesting they may have intracellular functions that are dependent or independent of their extracellular role, but whether these functions extend to transcriptional control remains unknown. Here, we show the nuclear localization of transmembrane, PCP protein, VANGL2, in the HCC1569 breast cancer cell line, and in undifferentiated, but not differentiated, HC11 cells that serve as a model for mammary lactogenic differentiation. The loss of Vangl2 function results in upregulation of pathways related to STAT5 signaling. We identify DNA binding sites and a nuclear localization signal in VANGL2, and use CUT&RUN to demonstrate recruitment of VANGL2 to specific DNA binding motifs, including one in the Stat5a promoter. Knockdown (KD) of Vangl2 in HC11 cells and primary mammary organoids results in upregulation of Stat5a, Ccnd1 and Csn2, larger acini and organoids, and precocious differentiation; phenotypes are rescued by overexpression of Vangl2, but not Vangl2ΔNLS. Together, these results advance a paradigm whereby PCP proteins coordinate tissue morphogenesis by keeping transcriptional programs governing differentiation in check.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefany Rubio
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Rut Molinuevo
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Natalia Sanz-Gomez
- Department of Cancer Biology, Institute for Biomedical Research “Alberto Sols”, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Talieh Zomorrodinia
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Chad S. Cockrum
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Elina Luong
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Lucia Rivas
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Kora Cadle
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Julien Menendez
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Lindsay Hinck
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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3
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Rubio S, Molinuevo R, Sanz-Gomez N, Zomorrodinia T, Cockrum CS, Luong E, Rivas L, Cadle K, Menendez J, Hinck L. Nuclear VANGL2 Inhibits Lactogenic Differentiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.07.570706. [PMID: 38106173 PMCID: PMC10723439 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.07.570706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) proteins coordinate tissue morphogenesis by governing cell patterning and polarity. Asymmetrically localized on the plasma membrane of cells, PCP proteins are also trafficked by endocytosis, suggesting they may have intracellular functions that are dependent or independent of their extracellular role, but whether these functions extend to transcriptional control remains unknown. Here, we show the nuclear localization of transmembrane, PCP protein, VANGL2, in undifferentiated, but not differentiated, HC11 cells, which serve as a model for mammary lactogenic differentiation. Loss of Vangl2 function results in upregulation of pathways related to STAT5 signaling. We identify DNA binding sites and a nuclear localization signal in VANGL2, and use CUT&RUN to demonstrate direct binding of VANGL2 to specific DNA binding motifs, including one in the Stat5a promoter. Knockdown (KD) of Vangl2 in HC11 cells and primary mammary organoids results in upregulation of Stat5a , Ccnd1 and Csn2 , larger acini and organoids, and precocious differentiation; phenotypes rescued by overexpression of Vangl2 , but not Vangl2 ΔNLS . Together, these results advance a paradigm whereby PCP proteins coordinate tissue morphogenesis by keeping transcriptional programs governing differentiation in check.
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4
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McArthur KL, Tovar VM, Griffin-Baldwin E, Tovar BD, Astad EK. Early development of respiratory motor circuits in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:838-852. [PMID: 36881713 PMCID: PMC10081962 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25467] [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: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Rhythm-generating circuits in the vertebrate hindbrain form synaptic connections with cranial and spinal motor neurons, to generate coordinated, patterned respiratory behaviors. Zebrafish provide a uniquely tractable model system to investigate the earliest stages in respiratory motor circuit development in vivo. In larval zebrafish, respiratory behaviors are carried out by muscles innervated by cranial motor neurons-including the facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs), which innervate muscles that move the jaw, buccal cavity, and operculum. However, it is unclear when FBMNs first receive functional synaptic input from respiratory pattern-generating neurons, and how the functional output of the respiratory motor circuit changes across larval development. In the current study, we used behavior and calcium imaging to determine how early FBMNs receive functional synaptic inputs from respiratory pattern-generating networks in larval zebrafish. Zebrafish exhibited patterned operculum movements by 3 days postfertilization (dpf), though this behavior became more consistent at 4 and 5 dpf. Also by 3dpf, FBMNs fell into two distinct categories ("rhythmic" and "nonrhythmic"), based on patterns of neural activity. These two neuron categories were arranged differently along the dorsoventral axis, demonstrating that FBMNs have already established dorsoventral topography by 3 dpf. Finally, operculum movements were coordinated with pectoral fin movements at 3 dpf, indicating that the operculum behavioral pattern was driven by synaptic input. Taken together, this evidence suggests that FBMNs begin to receive initial synaptic input from a functional respiratory central pattern generator at or prior to 3 dpf. Future studies will use this model to study mechanisms of normal and abnormal respiratory circuit development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bria D. Tovar
- Biology Department, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626
| | - Emma K. Astad
- Biology Department, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626
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5
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Nukala KM, Lilienthal AJ, Lye SH, Bassuk AG, Chtarbanova S, Manak JR. Downregulation of oxidative stress-mediated glial innate immune response suppresses seizures in a fly epilepsy model. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112004. [PMID: 36641750 PMCID: PMC9942582 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work in our laboratory has shown that mutations in prickle (pk) cause myoclonic-like seizures and ataxia in Drosophila, similar to what is observed in humans carrying mutations in orthologous PRICKLE genes. Here, we show that pk mutant brains show elevated, sustained neuronal cell death that correlates with increasing seizure penetrance, as well as an upregulation of mitochondrial oxidative stress and innate immune response (IIR) genes. Moreover, flies exhibiting more robust seizures show increased levels of IIR-associated target gene expression suggesting they may be linked. Genetic knockdown in glia of either arm of the IIR (Immune Deficiency [Imd] or Toll) leads to a reduction in neuronal death, which in turn suppresses seizure activity, with oxidative stress acting upstream of IIR. These data provide direct genetic evidence that oxidative stress in combination with glial-mediated IIR leads to progression of an epilepsy disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna M Nukala
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | | | - Shu Hui Lye
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Alexander G Bassuk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa and Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Iowa and Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; The Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa and Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | | | - J Robert Manak
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa and Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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6
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Dorrego-Rivas A, Ezan J, Moreau MM, Poirault-Chassac S, Aubailly N, De Neve J, Blanchard C, Castets F, Fréal A, Battefeld A, Sans N, Montcouquiol M. The core PCP protein Prickle2 regulates axon number and AIS maturation by binding to AnkG and modulating microtubule bundling. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo6333. [PMID: 36083912 PMCID: PMC9462691 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo6333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Core planar cell polarity (PCP) genes, which are involved in various neurodevelopmental disorders such as neural tube closure, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder, have poorly defined molecular signatures in neurons, mostly synapse-centric. Here, we show that the core PCP protein Prickle-like protein 2 (Prickle2) controls neuronal polarity and is a previously unidentified member of the axonal initial segment (AIS) proteome. We found that Prickle2 is present and colocalizes with AnkG480, the AIS master organizer, in the earliest stages of axonal specification and AIS formation. Furthermore, by binding to and regulating AnkG480, Prickle2 modulates its ability to bundle microtubules, a crucial mechanism for establishing neuronal polarity and AIS formation. Prickle2 depletion alters cytoskeleton organization, and Prickle2 levels determine both axon number and AIS maturation. Last, early Prickle2 depletion produces impaired action potential firing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Dorrego-Rivas
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
- Corresponding author.
| | - Jerome Ezan
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
| | - Maïté M Moreau
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Julie De Neve
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Francis Castets
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Amélie Fréal
- Department of Functional Genomics, Vrije Universiteit (VU), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arne Battefeld
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Nathalie Sans
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
- Corresponding author.
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Dubińska-Magiera M, Migocka-Patrzałek M, Lewandowski D, Daczewska M, Jagla K. Zebrafish as a Model for the Study of Lipid-Lowering Drug-Induced Myopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5654. [PMID: 34073503 PMCID: PMC8198905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced myopathies are classified as acquired myopathies caused by exogenous factors. These pathological conditions develop in patients without muscle disease and are triggered by a variety of medicaments, including lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) such as statins, fibrates, and ezetimibe. Here we summarise the current knowledge gained via studies conducted using various models, such as cell lines and mammalian models, and compare them with the results obtained in zebrafish (Danio rerio) studies. Zebrafish have proven to be an excellent research tool for studying dyslipidaemias as a model of these pathological conditions. This system enables in-vivo characterization of drug and gene candidates to further the understanding of disease aetiology and develop new therapeutic strategies. Our review also considers important environmental issues arising from the indiscriminate use of LLDs worldwide. The widespread use and importance of drugs such as statins and fibrates justify the need for the meticulous study of their mechanism of action and the side effects they cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Dubińska-Magiera
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland; (M.D.-M.); (M.M.-P.); (D.L.)
| | - Marta Migocka-Patrzałek
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland; (M.D.-M.); (M.M.-P.); (D.L.)
| | - Damian Lewandowski
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland; (M.D.-M.); (M.M.-P.); (D.L.)
| | - Małgorzata Daczewska
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland; (M.D.-M.); (M.M.-P.); (D.L.)
| | - Krzysztof Jagla
- Genetics Reproduction and Development Institute (iGReD), INSERM 1103, CNRS 6293, University of Clermont Auvergne, 28 Place Henri Dunant, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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8
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Beiriger A, Narayan S, Singh N, Prince V. Development and migration of the zebrafish rhombencephalic octavolateral efferent neurons. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:1293-1307. [PMID: 32869305 PMCID: PMC8238524 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrate animals, motor and sensory efferent neurons carry information from the central nervous system (CNS) to peripheral targets. These two types of efferent systems sometimes bear a close resemblance, sharing common segmental organization, axon pathways, and chemical messengers. Here, we focus on the development of the octavolateral efferent neurons (OENs) and their interactions with the closely-related facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) in zebrafish. Using live-imaging approaches, we investigate the birth, migration, and projection patterns of OENs. We find that OENs are born in two distinct groups: a group of rostral efferent neurons (RENs) that arises in the fourth segment, or rhombomere (r4), of the hindbrain and a group of caudal efferent neurons (CENs) that arises in r5. Both RENs and CENs then migrate posteriorly through the hindbrain between 18 and 48 hrs postfertilization, alongside the r4-derived FBMNs. Like the FBMNs, migration of the r4-derived RENs depends on function of the segmental identity gene hoxb1a; unlike the FBMNs, however, both OEN populations move independently of prickle1b. Further, we investigate whether the previously described "pioneer" neuron that leads FBMN migration through the hindbrain is an r4-derived FBMN/REN or an r5-derived CEN. Our experiments verify that the pioneer is an r4-derived neuron and reaffirm its role in leading FBMN migration across the r4/5 border. In contrast, the r5-derived CENs migrate independently of the pioneer. Together, these results indicate that the mechanisms OENs use to navigate the hindbrain differ significantly from those employed by FBMNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Beiriger
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sweta Narayan
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Noor Singh
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Victoria Prince
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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9
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Chen JW, Niu X, King MJ, Noedl MT, Tabin CJ, Galloway JL. The mevalonate pathway is a crucial regulator of tendon cell specification. Development 2020; 147:dev.185389. [PMID: 32467241 DOI: 10.1242/dev.185389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Tendons and ligaments are crucial components of the musculoskeletal system, yet the pathways specifying these fates remain poorly defined. Through a screen of known bioactive chemicals in zebrafish, we identified a new pathway regulating tendon cell induction. We established that statin, through inhibition of the mevalonate pathway, causes an expansion of the tendon progenitor population. Co-expression and live imaging studies indicate that the expansion does not involve an increase in cell proliferation, but rather results from re-specification of cells from the neural crest-derived sox9a+/sox10+ skeletal lineage. The effect on tendon cell expansion is specific to the geranylgeranylation branch of the mevalonate pathway and is mediated by inhibition of Rac activity. This work establishes a novel role for the mevalonate pathway and Rac activity in regulating specification of the tendon lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica W Chen
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xubo Niu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Matthew J King
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marie-Therese Noedl
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Clifford J Tabin
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jenna L Galloway
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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10
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Ahsan K, Singh N, Rocha M, Huang C, Prince VE. Prickle1 is required for EMT and migration of zebrafish cranial neural crest. Dev Biol 2019; 448:16-35. [PMID: 30721665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The neural crest-a key innovation of the vertebrates-gives rise to diverse cell types including melanocytes, neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, and chondrocytes of the jaw and skull. Proper development of the cephalic region is dependent on the tightly-regulated specification and migration of cranial neural crest cells (NCCs). The core PCP proteins Frizzled and Disheveled have previously been implicated in NCC migration. Here we investigate the functions of the core PCP proteins Prickle1a and Prickle1b in zebrafish cranial NCC development. Using analysis of pk1a and pk1b mutant embryos, we uncover similar roles for both genes in facilitating cranial NCC migration. Disruption of either gene causes pre-migratory NCCs to cluster together at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, where they adopt aberrant polarity and movement. Critically, in investigating Pk1-deficient cells that fail to migrate ventrolaterally, we have also uncovered roles for pk1a and pk1b in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of pre-migratory NCCs that precedes their collective migration to the periphery. Normally, during EMT, pre-migratory NCCs transition from a neuroepithelial to a bleb-based and subsequently, mesenchymal morphology capable of directed migration. When either Pk1a or Pk1b is disrupted, NCCs continue to perform blebbing behaviors characteristic of pre-migratory cells over extended time periods, indicating a block in a key transition during EMT. Although some Pk1-deficient NCCs transition successfully to mesenchymal, migratory morphologies, they fail to separate from neighboring NCCs. Additionally, Pk1b-deficient NCCs show elevated levels of E-Cadherin and reduced levels of N-Cadherin, suggesting that Prickle1 molecules regulate Cadherin levels to ensure the completion of EMT and the commencement of cranial NCC migration. We conclude that Pk1 plays crucial roles in cranial NCCs both during EMT and migration. These roles are dependent on the regulation of E-Cad and N-Cad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Ahsan
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, USA
| | - Noor Singh
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, USA
| | - Manuel Rocha
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, USA
| | | | - Victoria E Prince
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, USA; Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, USA.
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11
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Frank MM, Goodrich LV. Talking back: Development of the olivocochlear efferent system. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:e324. [PMID: 29944783 PMCID: PMC6185769 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Developing sensory systems must coordinate the growth of neural circuitry spanning from receptors in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to multilayered networks within the central nervous system (CNS). This breadth presents particular challenges, as nascent processes must navigate across the CNS-PNS boundary and coalesce into a tightly intermingled wiring pattern, thereby enabling reliable integration from the PNS to the CNS and back. In the auditory system, feedforward spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) from the periphery collect sound information via tonotopically organized connections in the cochlea and transmit this information to the brainstem for processing via the VIII cranial nerve. In turn, feedback olivocochlear neurons (OCNs) housed in the auditory brainstem send projections into the periphery, also through the VIII nerve. OCNs are motor neuron-like efferent cells that influence auditory processing within the cochlea and protect against noise damage in adult animals. These aligned feedforward and feedback systems develop in parallel, with SGN central axons reaching the developing auditory brainstem around the same time that the OCN axons extend out toward the developing inner ear. Recent findings have begun to unravel the genetic and molecular mechanisms that guide OCN development, from their origins in a generic pool of motor neuron precursors to their specialized roles as modulators of cochlear activity. One recurrent theme is the importance of efferent-afferent interactions, as afferent SGNs guide OCNs to their final locations within the sensory epithelium, and efferent OCNs shape the activity of the developing auditory system. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: Regional Development.
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12
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Abstract
The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is best known for its role in polarizing epithelial cells within the plane of a tissue but it also plays a role in a range of cell migration events during development. The mechanism by which the PCP pathway polarizes stationary epithelial cells is well characterized, but how PCP signaling functions to regulate more dynamic cell behaviors during directed cell migration is much less understood. Here, we review recent discoveries regarding the localization of PCP proteins in migrating cells and their impact on the cell biology of collective and individual cell migratory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal F Davey
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, B2-159, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Cecilia B Moens
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, B2-159, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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13
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Prickle1 regulates neurite outgrowth of apical spiral ganglion neurons but not hair cell polarity in the murine cochlea. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183773. [PMID: 28837644 PMCID: PMC5570324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian organ of Corti (OC), the stereocilia on the apical surface of hair cells (HCs) are uniformly organized in a neural to abneural axis (or medial-laterally). This organization is regulated by planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling. Mutations of PCP genes, such as Vangl2, Dvl1/2, Celsr1, and Fzd3/6, affect the formation of HC orientation to varying degrees. Prickle1 is a PCP signaling gene that belongs to the prickle / espinas / testin family. Prickle1 protein is shown to be asymmetrically localized in the HCs of the OC, and this asymmetric localization is associated with loss of PCP in Smurf mutants, implying that Prickle1 is involved in HC PCP development in the OC. A follow-up study found no PCP polarity defects after loss of Prickle1 (Prickle1-/-) in the cochlea. We show here strong Prickle1 mRNA expression in the spiral ganglion by in situ hybridization and β-Gal staining, and weak expression in the OC by β-Gal staining. Consistent with this limited expression in the OC, cochlear HC PCP is unaffected in either Prickle1C251X/C251X mice or Prickle1f/f; Pax2-cre conditional null mice. Meanwhile, type II afferents of apical spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) innervating outer hair cells (OHC) have unusual neurite growth. In addition, afferents from the apex show unusual collaterals in the cochlear nuclei that overlap with basal turn afferents. Our findings argue against the role of Prickle1 in regulating hair cell polarity in the cochlea. Instead, Prickle1 regulates the polarity-related growth of distal and central processes of apical SGNs.
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McArthur KL, Fetcho JR. Key Features of Structural and Functional Organization of Zebrafish Facial Motor Neurons Are Resilient to Disruption of Neuronal Migration. Curr Biol 2017; 27:1746-1756.e5. [PMID: 28602649 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The location of neurons early in development can be critical for their ability to differentiate and receive normal synaptic inputs. Indeed, disruptions in neuronal positioning lead to a variety of neurological disorders. Neurons have, however, shifted their positions across phylogeny, suggesting that changes in location do not always spell functional disaster. To investigate the functional consequences of abnormal positioning, we leveraged previously reported genetic perturbations to disrupt normal neuronal migration-and thus positioning-in a population of cranial motor neurons, the facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs). We used a combination of topographical, morphological, physiological, and behavioral analyses to determine whether key functional features of FBMNs were still established in migration mutants, in spite of a dramatic rostrocaudal repositioning of these neurons in hindbrain. We discovered that FBMNs seem remarkably resilient to a disruption in positioning, suggesting that they may not rely heavily on rostrocaudal positioning to guide their functional development. Thus, the role of positioning may vary across the developing nervous system, with some populations-like facial motor neurons-exhibiting greater resilience to abnormal positioning that permits them to shift location as a part of evolutionary change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L McArthur
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Joseph R Fetcho
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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15
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Jussila M, Ciruna B. Zebrafish models of non-canonical Wnt/planar cell polarity signalling: fishing for valuable insight into vertebrate polarized cell behavior. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 6. [PMID: 28304136 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) coordinates the uniform orientation, structure and movement of cells within the plane of a tissue or organ system. It is beautifully illustrated in the polarized arrangement of bristles and hairs that project from specialized cell surfaces of the insect abdomen and wings, and pioneering genetic studies using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have defined a core signalling network underlying PCP. This core PCP/non-canonical Wnt signalling pathway is evolutionarily conserved, and studies in zebrafish have helped transform our understanding of PCP from a peculiarity of polarized epithelia to a more universal cellular property that orchestrates a diverse suite of polarized cell behaviors that are required for normal vertebrate development. Furthermore, application of powerful genetics, embryonic cell-transplantation, and live-imaging capabilities afforded by the zebrafish model have yielded novel insights into the establishment and maintenance of vertebrate PCP, over the course of complex and dynamic morphogenetic events like gastrulation and neural tube morphogenesis. Although key questions regarding vertebrate PCP remain, with the emergence of new genome-editing technologies and the promise of endogenous labeling and Cre/LoxP conditional targeting strategies, zebrafish remains poised to deliver fundamental new insights into the function and molecular dynamic regulation of PCP signalling from embryonic development through to late-onset phenotypes and adult disease states. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e267. doi: 10.1002/wdev.267 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jussila
- Program in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brian Ciruna
- Program in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Planar cell polarity genes Frizzled3a, Vangl2, and Scribble are required for spinal commissural axon guidance. BMC Neurosci 2016; 17:83. [PMID: 27955617 PMCID: PMC5154073 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0318-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A fundamental feature of early nervous system development is the guidance of axonal projections to their targets in order to assemble neural circuits that control behavior. Spinal commissural neurons are an attractive model to investigate the multiple guidance cues that control growth cone navigation both pre- and post-midline crossing, as well as along both the dorsal-ventral (D-V) and anterior-posterior (A-P) axes. Accumulating evidence suggests that guidance of spinal commissural axons along the A-P axis is dependent on components of the planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway. In the zebrafish, the earliest born spinal commissural neuron to navigate the midline and turn rostrally is termed commissural primary ascending (CoPA). Unlike mammalian systems, CoPA axons cross the midline as a single axon and allow an analysis of the role of PCP components in anterior pathfinding in single pioneering axons. RESULTS Here, we establish CoPA cells in the zebrafish spinal cord as a model system for investigating the molecular function of planar cell polarity signaling in axon guidance. Using mutant analysis, we show that the functions of Fzd3a and Vangl2 in the anterior turning of commissural axons are evolutionarily conserved in teleosts. We extend our findings to reveal a role for the PCP gene scribble in the anterior guidance of CoPA axons. Analysis of single CoPA axons reveals that these commissural axons become responsive to PCP-dependent anterior guidance cues even prior to midline crossing. When midline crossing is prevented by dcc gene knockdown, ipsilateral CoPA axons still extend axons anteriorly in response to A-P guidance cues. We show that this ipsilateral anterior pathfinding that occurs in the absence of midline crossing is dependent on PCP signaling. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that anterior guidance decisions by CoPA axons are dependent on the function of planar cell polarity genes both prior to and after midline crossing.
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Cadherin-2 Is Required Cell Autonomously for Collective Migration of Facial Branchiomotor Neurons. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164433. [PMID: 27716840 PMCID: PMC5055392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective migration depends on cell-cell interactions between neighbors that contribute to their overall directionality, yet the mechanisms that control the coordinated migration of neurons remains to be elucidated. During hindbrain development, facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) undergo a stereotypic tangential caudal migration from their place of birth in rhombomere (r)4 to their final location in r6/7. FBMNs engage in collective cell migration that depends on neuron-to-neuron interactions to facilitate caudal directionality. Here, we demonstrate that Cadherin-2-mediated neuron-to-neuron adhesion is necessary for directional and collective migration of FBMNs. We generated stable transgenic zebrafish expressing dominant-negative Cadherin-2 (Cdh2ΔEC) driven by the islet1 promoter. Cell-autonomous inactivation of Cadherin-2 function led to non-directional migration of FBMNs and a defect in caudal tangential migration. Additionally, mosaic analysis revealed that Cdh2ΔEC-expressing FBMNs are not influenced to migrate caudally by neighboring wild-type FBMNs due to a defect in collective cell migration. Taken together, our data suggest that Cadherin-2 plays an essential cell-autonomous role in mediating the collective migration of FBMNs.
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Kozol RA, Abrams AJ, James DM, Buglo E, Yan Q, Dallman JE. Function Over Form: Modeling Groups of Inherited Neurological Conditions in Zebrafish. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:55. [PMID: 27458342 PMCID: PMC4935692 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are a unique cell to behavior model for studying the basic biology of human inherited neurological conditions. Conserved vertebrate genetics and optical transparency provide in vivo access to the developing nervous system as well as high-throughput approaches for drug screens. Here we review zebrafish modeling for two broad groups of inherited conditions that each share genetic and molecular pathways and overlap phenotypically: neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID) and Schizophrenia (SCZ), and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Cerebellar Ataxia (CATX), Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) and Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease (CMT). We also conduct a small meta-analysis of zebrafish orthologs of high confidence neurodevelopmental disorder and neurodegenerative disease genes by looking at duplication rates and relative protein sizes. In the past zebrafish genetic models of these neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases have provided insight into cellular, circuit and behavioral level mechanisms contributing to these conditions. Moving forward, advances in genetic manipulation, live imaging of neuronal activity and automated high-throughput molecular screening promise to help delineate the mechanistic relationships between different types of neurological conditions and accelerate discovery of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Kozol
- Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Alexander J. Abrams
- Department of Human Genetics, John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, University of MiamiMiami, FL, USA
| | - David M. James
- Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Elena Buglo
- Department of Human Genetics, John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, University of MiamiMiami, FL, USA
| | - Qing Yan
- Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL, USA
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Carr D, Sanchez-Alvarez L, Imai JH, Slatculescu C, Noblett N, Mao L, Beese L, Colavita A. A Farnesyltransferase Acts to Inhibit Ectopic Neurite Formation in C. elegans. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157537. [PMID: 27300162 PMCID: PMC4907426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic pathways that regulate nascent neurite formation play a critical role in neuronal morphogenesis. The core planar cell polarity components VANG-1/Van Gogh and PRKL-1/Prickle are involved in blocking inappropriate neurite formation in a subset of motor neurons in C. elegans. A genetic screen for mutants that display supernumerary neurites was performed to identify additional factors involved in this process. This screen identified mutations in fntb-1, the β subunit of farnesyltransferase. We show that fntb-1 is expressed in neurons and acts cell-autonomously to regulate neurite formation. Prickle proteins are known to be post-translationally modified by farnesylation at their C-terminal CAAX motifs. We show that PRKL-1 can be recruited to the plasma membrane in both a CAAX-dependent and CAAX-independent manner but that PRKL-1 can only inhibit neurite formation in a CAAX-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Carr
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leticia Sanchez-Alvarez
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Janice H. Imai
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cristina Slatculescu
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nathaniel Noblett
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lei Mao
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lorena Beese
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Antonio Colavita
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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20
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Davey CF, Mathewson AW, Moens CB. PCP Signaling between Migrating Neurons and their Planar-Polarized Neuroepithelial Environment Controls Filopodial Dynamics and Directional Migration. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005934. [PMID: 26990447 PMCID: PMC4798406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is a cell-contact mediated mechanism for transmitting polarity information between neighboring cells. PCP “core components” (Vangl, Fz, Pk, Dsh, and Celsr) are essential for a number of cell migratory events including the posterior migration of facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) in the plane of the hindbrain neuroepithelium in zebrafish and mice. While the mechanism by which PCP signaling polarizes static epithelial cells is well understood, how PCP signaling controls highly dynamic processes like neuronal migration remains an important outstanding question given that PCP components have been implicated in a range of directed cell movements, particularly during vertebrate development. Here, by systematically disrupting PCP signaling in a rhombomere-restricted manner we show that PCP signaling is required both within FBMNs and the hindbrain rhombomere 4 environment at the time when they initiate their migration. Correspondingly, we demonstrate planar polarized localization of PCP core components Vangl2 and Fzd3a in the hindbrain neuroepithelium, and transient localization of Vangl2 at the tips of retracting FBMN filopodia. Using high-resolution timelapse imaging of FBMNs in genetic chimeras we uncover opposing cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous functions for Fzd3a and Vangl2 in regulating FBMN protrusive activity. Within FBMNs, Fzd3a is required to stabilize filopodia while Vangl2 has an antagonistic, destabilizing role. However, in the migratory environment Fzd3a acts to destabilize FBMN filopodia while Vangl2 has a stabilizing role. Together, our findings suggest a model in which PCP signaling between the planar polarized neuroepithelial environment and FBMNs directs migration by the selective stabilization of FBMN filopodia. Planar cell polarity (PCP) is a common feature of many animal tissues. This type of polarity is most obvious in cells that are organized into epithelial sheets, where PCP signaling components act to orient cells in the plane of the tissue. Although, PCP is best understood for its function in polarizing stable epithelia, PCP is also required for the dynamic process of cell migration in animal development and disease. The goal of this study was to determine how PCP functions to control cell migration. We used the migration of facial branchiomotor neurons in the zebrafish hindbrain, which requires almost the entire suite of PCP core components, to address this question. We present evidence that PCP signaling within migrating neurons, and between migrating neurons and cells of their migratory environment promote migration by regulating filopodial dynamics. Our results suggest that broadly conserved interactions between PCP components control the cytoskeleton in motile cells and non-motile epithelia alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal F. Davey
- Division of Basic Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Andrew W. Mathewson
- Division of Basic Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Cecilia B. Moens
- Division of Basic Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Love CE, Prince VE. Rest represses maturation within migrating facial branchiomotor neurons. Dev Biol 2015; 401:220-35. [PMID: 25769695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate brain arises from the complex organization of millions of neurons. Neurogenesis encompasses not only cell fate specification from neural stem cells, but also the terminal molecular and morphological maturation of neurons at correct positions within the brain. RE1-silencing transcription factor (Rest) is expressed in non-neural tissues and neuronal progenitors where it inhibits the terminal maturation of neurons by repressing hundreds of neuron-specific genes. Here we show that Rest repression of maturation is intimately linked with the migratory capability of zebrafish facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs), which undergo a characteristic tangential migration from hindbrain rhombomere (r) 4 to r6/r7 during development. We establish that FBMN migration is increasingly disrupted as Rest is depleted in zebrafish rest mutant embryos, such that around two-thirds of FBMNs fail to complete migration in mutants depleted of both maternal and zygotic Rest. Although Rest is broadly expressed, we show that de-repression or activation of Rest target genes only within FBMNs is sufficient to disrupt their migration. We demonstrate that this migration defect is due to precocious maturation of FBMNs, based on both morphological and molecular criteria. We further show that the Rest target gene and alternative splicing factor srrm4 is a key downstream regulator of maturation; Srrm4 knockdown partially restores the ability of FBMNs to migrate in rest mutants while preventing their precocious morphological maturation. Rest must localize to the nucleus to repress its targets, and its subcellular localization is highly regulated: we show that targeting Rest specifically to FBMN nuclei rescues FBMN migration in Rest-deficient embryos. We conclude that Rest functions in FBMN nuclei to inhibit maturation until the neurons complete their migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal E Love
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Victoria E Prince
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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22
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O'Hare EA, Wang X, Montasser ME, Chang YPC, Mitchell BD, Zaghloul NA. Disruption of ldlr causes increased LDL-c and vascular lipid accumulation in a zebrafish model of hypercholesterolemia. J Lipid Res 2014; 55:2242-53. [PMID: 25201834 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m046540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperlipidemia and arterial cholesterol accumulation are primary causes of cardiovascular events. Monogenic forms of hyperlipidemia and recent genome-wide association studies indicate that genetics plays an important role. Zebrafish are a useful model for studying the genetic susceptibility to hyperlipidemia owing to conservation of many components of lipoprotein metabolism, including those related to LDL, ease of genetic manipulation, and in vivo observation of lipid transport and vascular calcification. We sought to develop a genetic model for lipid metabolism in zebrafish, capitalizing on one well-understood player in LDL cholesterol (LDL-c) transport, the LDL receptor (ldlr), and an established in vivo model of hypercholesterolemia. We report that morpholinos targeted against the gene encoding ldlr effectively suppressed its expression in embryos during the first 8 days of development. The ldlr morphants exhibited increased LDL-c levels that were exacerbated by feeding a high cholesterol diet. Increased LDL-c was ameliorated in morphants upon treatment with atorvastatin. Furthermore, we observed significant vascular and liver lipid accumulation, vascular leakage, and plaque oxidation in ldlr-deficient embryos. Finally, upon transcript analysis of several cholesterol-regulating genes, we observed changes similar to those seen in mammalian systems, suggesting that cholesterol regulation may be conserved in zebrafish. Taken together, these observations indicate conservation of ldlr function in zebrafish and demonstrate the utility of transient gene knockdown in embryos as a genetic model for hyperlipidemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A O'Hare
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Xiaochun Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - May E Montasser
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Yen-Pei C Chang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Braxton D Mitchell
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Norann A Zaghloul
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Yang T, Bassuk AG, Stricker S, Fritzsch B. Prickle1 is necessary for the caudal migration of murine facial branchiomotor neurons. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 357:549-61. [PMID: 24927917 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-014-1925-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMs) of vertebrates typically develop in rhombomere 4 (r4), and in mammals and several other vertebrate taxa, migrate caudally into r6 and subsequently laterally and ventrally to the pial surface. How similar or dissimilar these migratory processes between species are at a molecular level remains unclear. In zebrafish and mouse, mutations in certain PCP genes disrupt normal caudal migration of FBMs. Zebrafish prickle1a (prickle-like 1a) and prickle1b, two orthologs of Prickle1, act non-cell-autonomously and cell-autonomously, respectively, to regulate FBM migration. Here, we show that, in Prickle1 (C251X/C251X) mice which have reduced Prickle1 expression, the caudal migration of FBMs is affected. Most FBM neurons do not migrate caudally along the floor plate. However, some neurons perform limited caudal migration such that the neurons eventually lie near the pial surface from r4 to anterior r6. FBMs in Prickle1 (C251X/C251X) mice survive until P0 and form an ectopic nucleus dorsal to the olivo-cochlear efferents of r4. Ror2, which modifies the PCP pathway in other systems, is expressed by the migrating mouse FBMs, but is not required for FBM caudal migration. Our results suggest that, in mice, Prickle1 is part of a molecular mechanism that regulates FBM caudal migration and separates the FBM and the olivo-cochlear efferents. This defective caudal migration of FBMs in Prickle1C251X mutants resembles Vangl2 mutant defects. In contrast to other developing systems that show similar defects in Prickle1, Wnt5a and Ror2, the latter two only have limited or no effect on FBM caudal migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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24
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Mei X, Westfall TA, Zhang Q, Sheffield VC, Bassuk AG, Slusarski DC. Functional characterization of Prickle2 and BBS7 identify overlapping phenotypes yet distinct mechanisms. Dev Biol 2014; 392:245-55. [PMID: 24938409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Ciliopathies are genetic disorders that are caused by dysfunctional cilia and affect multiple organs. One type of ciliopathy, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, is a rare disorder characterized by obesity, retinitis pigmentosa, polydactyly, mental retardation and susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. The Wnt/Planar cell polarity (PCP) has been associated with cilia function and ciliogenesis in directing the orientation of cilia and basal bodies. Yet the exact relationship between PCP and ciliopathy is not well understood. Here, we examine interactions between a core PCP component, Prickle2 (Pk2), and a central BBS gene, Bbs7, using gene knockdown in the zebrafish. pk2 and bbs7 knockdown both disrupt the formation of a ciliated organ, the Kupffer׳s vesicle (KV), but do not display a synergistic interaction. By measuring cell polarity in the neural tube, we find that bbs7 activity is not required for Pk asymmetric localization. Moreover, BBS protein complex formation is preserved in the Pk2-deficient (Pk2(-/-)) mouse. Previously we reported an intracellular melanosome transport delay as a cardinal feature of reduced bbs gene activity. We find that pk2 knockdown suppresses bbs7-related retrograde transport delay. Similarly, knockdown of ift22, an anterograde intraflagellar transport component, also suppresses the bbs7-related retrograde delay. Notably, we find that pk2 knockdown larvae show a delay in anterograde transport. These data suggest a novel role for Pk2 in directional intracellular transport and our analyses show that PCP and BBS function independently, yet result in overlapping phenotypes when knocked down in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Mei
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Trudi A Westfall
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Qihong Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Val C Sheffield
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Alexander G Bassuk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Diane C Slusarski
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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Yang T, Jia Z, Bryant-Pike W, Chandrasekhar A, Murray JC, Fritzsch B, Bassuk AG. Analysis of PRICKLE1 in human cleft palate and mouse development demonstrates rare and common variants involved in human malformations. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2014; 2:138-51. [PMID: 24689077 PMCID: PMC3960056 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Palate development is shaped by multiple molecular signaling pathways, including the Wnt pathway. In mice and humans, mutations in both the canonical and noncanonical arms of the Wnt pathway manifest as cleft palate, one of the most common human birth defects. Like the palate, numerous studies also link different Wnt signaling perturbations to varying degrees of limb malformation; for example, shortened limbs form in mutations of Ror2,Vangl2 (looptail) and, in particular, Wnt5a. We recently showed the noncanonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling molecule Prickle1 (Prickle like 1) also stunts limb growth in mice. We now expanded these studies to the palate and show that Prickle1 is also required for palate development, like Wnt5a and Ror2. Unlike in the limb, the Vangl2looptail mutation only aggravates palate defects caused by other mutations. We screened Filipino cleft palate patients and found PRICKLE1 variants, both common and rare, at an elevated frequency. Our results reveal that in mice and humans PRICKLE1 directs palate morphogenesis; our results also uncouple Prickle1 function from Vangl2 function. Together, these findings suggest mouse and human palate development is guided by PCP-Prickle1 signaling that is probably not downstream of Vangl2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Yang
- Department of Biology, University of IowaIowa City, Iowa, 52242
| | - Zhonglin Jia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of IowaIowa City, Iowa, 52242
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan UniversityChengdu, China
- Department of Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan UniversityChengdu, China
| | - Whitney Bryant-Pike
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of MissouriColumbia, Missouri, 65211
| | - Anand Chandrasekhar
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of MissouriColumbia, Missouri, 65211
| | - Jeffrey C Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, University of IowaIowa City, Iowa, 52242
| | - Bernd Fritzsch
- Department of Biology, University of IowaIowa City, Iowa, 52242
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Structural and temporal requirements of Wnt/PCP protein Vangl2 function for convergence and extension movements and facial branchiomotor neuron migration in zebrafish. Mech Dev 2013; 131:1-14. [PMID: 24333599 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Van gogh-like 2 (Vangl2), a core component of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway, is a four-pass transmembrane protein with N-terminal and C-terminal domains located in the cytosol, and is structurally conserved from flies to mammals. In vertebrates, Vangl2 plays an essential role in convergence and extension (CE) movements during gastrulation and in facial branchiomotor (FBM) neuron migration in the hindbrain. However, the roles of specific Vangl2 domains, of membrane association, and of specific extracellular and intracellular motifs have not been examined, especially in the context of FBM neuron migration. Through heat shock-inducible expression of various Vangl2 transgenes, we found that membrane associated functions of the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of Vangl2 are involved in regulating FBM neuron migration. Importantly, through temperature shift experiments, we found that the critical period for Vangl2 function coincides with the initial stages of FBM neuron migration out of rhombomere 4. Intriguingly, we have also uncovered a putative nuclear localization motif in the C-terminal domain that may play a role in regulating CE movements.
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27
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Wanner SJ, Saeger I, Guthrie S, Prince VE. Facial motor neuron migration advances. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 23:943-50. [PMID: 24090878 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
During development, the migration of specific neuronal subtypes is required for the correct establishment of neural circuits. In mice and zebrafish, facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons undergo a tangential migration from rhombomere 4 caudally through the hindbrain. Recent advances in the field have capitalized on genetic studies in zebrafish and mouse, and high-resolution time-lapse imaging in zebrafish. Planar cell polarity signaling has emerged as a critical conserved factor in FBM neuron migration, functioning both within the neurons and their environment. In zebrafish, migration depends on specialized 'pioneer' neurons to lead follower FBM neurons through the hindbrain, and on interactions with structural components including pre-laid axon tracts and the basement membrane. Despite fundamental conservation, species-specific differences in migration mechanisms are being uncovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Wanner
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
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28
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Yang T, Bassuk AG, Fritzsch B. Prickle1 stunts limb growth through alteration of cell polarity and gene expression. Dev Dyn 2013; 242:1293-306. [PMID: 23913870 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Revised: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wnt/PCP signaling plays a critical role in multiple developmental processes, including limb development. Wnt5a, a ligand of the PCP pathway, signals through the Ror2/Vangl2 or the Vangl2/Ryk complex to regulate limb development along the proximal-distal axis in mice. Based on the interaction between Van Gogh and Prickle in Drosophila, we hypothesized the vertebrate Prickle1 has a similar function as Vangl2 in limb development. RESULTS We show Prickle1 is expressed in the skeletal condensates that will differentiate into chondrocytes and later form bones. Disrupted Prickle1 function in Prickle1(C251X/C251X) mouse mutants alters expression of genes such as Bmp4, Fgf8, Vangl2, and Wnt5a. These expression changes correlate with shorter and wider bones in the limbs and loss of one phalangeal segment in digits 2-5 of Prickle1C251X mutants. These growth defects along the proximal-distal axis are also associated with increased cell death in the growing digit tip, reduced cell death in the interdigital membrane, and disrupted chondrocyte polarity. CONCLUSIONS We suggest Prickle1 is part of the Wnt5a/PCP signaling, regulating cell polarity and affecting expression of multiple factors to stunt limb growth through altered patterns of gene expression, including the PCP genes Wnt5a and Vangl2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
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29
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Sittaramane V, Pan X, Glasco DM, Huang P, Gurung S, Bock A, Li S, Wang H, Kawakami K, Matise MP, Chandrasekhar A. The PCP protein Vangl2 regulates migration of hindbrain motor neurons by acting in floor plate cells, and independently of cilia function. Dev Biol 2013; 382:400-12. [PMID: 23988578 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Vangl2, a core component of the Planar Cell Polarity pathway, is necessary for the caudal migration of Facial Branchiomotor (FBM) neurons in the vertebrate hindbrain. Studies in zebrafish suggest that vangl2 functions largely non-cell autonomously to regulate FBM neuron migration out of rhombomere 4 (r4), but the cell-type within which it acts is not known. Here, we demonstrate that vangl2 functions largely in floor plate cells to regulate caudal neuronal migration. Furthermore, FBM neurons fail to migrate caudally in the mouse Gli2 mutant that lacks the floor plate, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role for this cell type in neuronal migration. Although hindbrain floor plate cilia are disorganized in vangl2 mutant embryos, cilia appear to be dispensable for neuronal migration. Notably, Vangl2 is enriched in the basolateral, but not apical, membranes of floor plate cells. Taken together, our data suggest strongly that Vangl2 regulates FBM neuron migration by acting in floor plate cells, independently of cilia function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinoth Sittaramane
- Division of Biological Sciences, and Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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Mei X, Wu S, Bassuk AG, Slusarski DC. Mechanisms of prickle1a function in zebrafish epilepsy and retinal neurogenesis. Dis Model Mech 2013; 6:679-88. [PMID: 23324328 PMCID: PMC3634651 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.010793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a complex neurological disorder characterized by unprovoked seizures. The etiology is heterogeneous with both genetic and environmental causes. Genes that regulate neurotransmitters and ion channels in the central nervous system have been associated with epilepsy. However, a recent screening in human epilepsy patients identified mutations in the PRICKLE1 (PK1) locus, highlighting a potentially novel mechanism underlying seizures. PK1 is a core component of the planar cell polarity network that regulates tissue polarity. Zebrafish studies have shown that Pk1 coordinates cell movement, neuronal migration and axonal outgrowth during embryonic development. Yet how dysfunction of Pk1 relates to epilepsy is unknown. To address the mechanism underlying epileptogenesis, we used zebrafish to characterize Pk1a function and epilepsy-related mutant forms. We show that knockdown of pk1a activity sensitizes zebrafish larva to a convulsant drug. To model defects in the central nervous system, we used the retina and found that pk1a knockdown induces neurite outgrowth defects; yet visual function is maintained. Furthermore, we characterized the functional and biochemical properties of the PK1 mutant forms identified in human patients. Functional analyses demonstrate that the wild-type Pk1a partially suppresses the gene knockdown retinal defects but not the mutant forms. Biochemical analysis reveals increased ubiquitylation of one mutant form and decreased translational efficiency of another mutant form compared with the wild-type Pk1a. Taken together, our results indicate that mutation of human PK1 could lead to defects in neurodevelopment and signal processing, providing insight into seizure predisposition in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Mei
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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31
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Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Zebrafish Development. EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX IN DEVELOPMENT 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-35935-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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32
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Xie X, Mathias JR, Smith MA, Walker SL, Teng Y, Distel M, Köster RW, Sirotkin HI, Saxena MT, Mumm JS. Silencer-delimited transgenesis: NRSE/RE1 sequences promote neural-specific transgene expression in a NRSF/REST-dependent manner. BMC Biol 2012. [PMID: 23198762 PMCID: PMC3529185 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-10-93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have investigated a simple strategy for enhancing transgene expression specificity by leveraging genetic silencer elements. The approach serves to restrict transgene expression to a tissue of interest - the nervous system in the example provided here - thereby promoting specific/exclusive targeting of discrete cellular subtypes. Recent innovations are bringing us closer to understanding how the brain is organized, how neural circuits function, and how neurons can be regenerated. Fluorescent proteins enable mapping of the 'connectome', optogenetic tools allow excitable cells to be short-circuited or hyperactivated, and targeted ablation of neuronal subtypes facilitates investigations of circuit function and neuronal regeneration. Optimally, such toolsets need to be expressed solely within the cell types of interest as off-site expression makes establishing causal relationships difficult. To address this, we have exploited a gene 'silencing' system that promotes neuronal specificity by repressing expression in non-neural tissues. This methodology solves non-specific background issues that plague large-scale enhancer trap efforts and may provide a means of leveraging promoters/enhancers that otherwise express too broadly to be of value for in vivo manipulations. RESULTS We show that a conserved neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE) can function to restrict transgene expression to the nervous system. The neuron-restrictive silencing factor/repressor element 1 silencing transcription factor (NRSF/REST) transcriptional repressor binds NRSE/repressor element 1 (RE1) sites and silences gene expression in non-neuronal cells. Inserting NRSE sites into transgenes strongly biased expression to neural tissues. NRSE sequences were effective in restricting expression of bipartite Gal4-based 'driver' transgenes within the context of an enhancer trap and when associated with a defined promoter and enhancer. However, NRSE sequences did not serve to restrict expression of an upstream activating sequence (UAS)-based reporter/effector transgene when associated solely with the UAS element. Morpholino knockdown assays showed that NRSF/REST expression is required for NRSE-based transgene silencing. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that the addition of NRSE sequences to transgenes can provide useful new tools for functional studies of the nervous system. However, the general approach may be more broadly applicable; tissue-specific silencer elements are operable in tissues other than the nervous system, suggesting this approach can be similarly applied to other paradigms. Thus, creating synthetic associations between endogenous regulatory elements and tissue-specific silencers may facilitate targeting of cellular subtypes for which defined promoters/enhancers are lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiayang Xie
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Kok FO, Taibi A, Wanner SJ, Xie X, Moravec CE, Love CE, Prince VE, Mumm JS, Sirotkin HI. Zebrafish rest regulates developmental gene expression but not neurogenesis. Development 2012; 139:3838-48. [PMID: 22951640 DOI: 10.1242/dev.080994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The transcriptional repressor Rest (Nrsf) recruits chromatin-modifying complexes to RE1 'silencer elements', which are associated with hundreds of neural genes. However, the requirement for Rest-mediated transcriptional regulation of embryonic development and cell fate is poorly understood. Conflicting views of the role of Rest in controlling cell fate have emerged from recent studies. To address these controversies, we examined the developmental requirement for Rest in zebrafish using zinc-finger nuclease-mediated gene targeting. We discovered that germ layer specification progresses normally in rest mutants despite derepression of target genes during embryogenesis. This analysis provides the first evidence that maternal rest is essential for repression of target genes during blastula stages. Surprisingly, neurogenesis proceeds largely normally in rest mutants, although abnormalities are observed within the nervous system, including defects in oligodendrocyte precursor cell development and a partial loss of facial branchiomotor neuron migration. Mutants progress normally through embryogenesis but many die as larvae (after 12 days). However, some homozygotes reach adulthood and are viable. We utilized an RE1/NRSE transgenic reporter system to dynamically monitor Rest activity. This analysis revealed that Rest is required to repress gene expression in mesodermal derivatives including muscle and notochord, as well as within the nervous system. Finally, we demonstrated that Rest is required for long-term repression of target genes in non-neural tissues in adult zebrafish. Our results point to a broad role for Rest in fine-tuning neural gene expression, rather than as a widespread regulator of neurogenesis or cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma O Kok
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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34
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Wallingford JB. Planar cell polarity and the developmental control of cell behavior in vertebrate embryos. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2012; 28:627-53. [PMID: 22905955 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-092910-154208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP), the orientation and alignment of cells within a sheet, is a ubiquitous cellular property that is commonly governed by the conserved set of proteins encoded by so-called PCP genes. The PCP proteins coordinate developmental signaling cues with individual cell behaviors in a wildly diverse array of tissues. Consequently, disruptions of PCP protein functions are linked to defects in axis elongation, inner ear patterning, neural tube closure, directed ciliary beating, and left/right patterning, to name only a few. This review attempts to synthesize what is known about PCP and the PCP proteins in vertebrate animals, with a particular focus on the mechanisms by which individual cells respond to PCP cues in order to execute specific cellular behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B Wallingford
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Section of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
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35
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Hirota Y, Sawada M, Kida YS, Huang SH, Yamada O, Sakaguchi M, Ogura T, Okano H, Sawamoto K. Roles of Planar Cell Polarity Signaling in Maturation of Neuronal Precursor Cells in the Postnatal Mouse Olfactory Bulb. Stem Cells 2012; 30:1726-33. [DOI: 10.1002/stem.1137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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36
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Glasco DM, Sittaramane V, Bryant W, Fritzsch B, Sawant A, Paudyal A, Stewart M, Andre P, Cadete Vilhais-Neto G, Yang Y, Song MR, Murdoch JN, Chandrasekhar A. The mouse Wnt/PCP protein Vangl2 is necessary for migration of facial branchiomotor neurons, and functions independently of Dishevelled. Dev Biol 2012; 369:211-22. [PMID: 22771245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Revised: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
During development, facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons, which innervate muscles in the vertebrate head, migrate caudally and radially within the brainstem to form a motor nucleus at the pial surface. Several components of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, including the transmembrane protein Vangl2, regulate caudal migration of FBM neurons in zebrafish, but their roles in neuronal migration in mouse have not been investigated in detail. Therefore, we analyzed FBM neuron migration in mouse looptail (Lp) mutants, in which Vangl2 is inactivated. In Vangl2(Lp/+) and Vangl2(Lp/Lp) embryos, FBM neurons failed to migrate caudally from rhombomere (r) 4 into r6. Although caudal migration was largely blocked, many FBM neurons underwent normal radial migration to the pial surface of the neural tube. In addition, hindbrain patterning and FBM progenitor specification were intact, and FBM neurons did not transfate into other non-migratory neuron types, indicating a specific effect on caudal migration. Since loss-of-function in some zebrafish Wnt/PCP genes does not affect caudal migration of FBM neurons, we tested whether this was also the case in mouse. Embryos null for Ptk7, a regulator of PCP signaling, had severe defects in caudal migration of FBM neurons. However, FBM neurons migrated normally in Dishevelled (Dvl) 1/2 double mutants, and in zebrafish embryos with disrupted Dvl signaling, suggesting that Dvl function is essentially dispensable for FBM neuron caudal migration. Consistent with this, loss of Dvl2 function in Vangl2(Lp/+) embryos did not exacerbate the Vangl2(Lp/+) neuronal migration phenotype. These data indicate that caudal migration of FBM neurons is regulated by multiple components of the Wnt/PCP pathway, but, importantly, may not require Dishevelled function. Interestingly, genetic-interaction experiments suggest that rostral FBM neuron migration, which is normally suppressed, depends upon Dvl function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick M Glasco
- Division of Biological Sciences, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, 65211, USA
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37
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Tao H, Inoue KI, Kiyonari H, Bassuk AG, Axelrod JD, Sasaki H, Aizawa S, Ueno N. Nuclear localization of Prickle2 is required to establish cell polarity during early mouse embryogenesis. Dev Biol 2012; 364:138-48. [PMID: 22333836 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Revised: 01/29/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of trophectoderm (TE) manifests as the formation of epithelium, and is dependent on many structural and regulatory components that are commonly found and function in many epithelial tissues. However, the mechanism of TE formation is currently not well understood. Prickle1 (Pk1), a core component of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, is essential for epiblast polarization before gastrulation, yet the roles of Pk family members in early mouse embryogenesis are obscure. Here we found that Pk2(-/-) embryos died at E3.0-3.5 without forming the blastocyst cavity and not maintained epithelial integrity of TE. These phenotypes were due to loss of the apical-basal (AB) polarity that underlies the asymmetric redistribution of microtubule networks and proper accumulation of AB polarity components on each membrane during compaction. In addition, we found GTP-bound active form of nuclear RhoA was decreased in Pk2(-/-) embryos during compaction. We further show that the first cell fate decision was disrupted in Pk2(-/-) embryos. Interestingly, Pk2 localized to the nucleus from the 2-cell to around the 16-cell stage despite its cytoplasmic function previously reported. Inhibiting farnesylation blocked Pk2's nuclear localization and disrupted AB cell polarity, suggesting that Pk2 farnesylation is essential for its nuclear localization and function. The cell polarity phenotype was efficiently rescued by nuclear but not cytoplasmic Pk2, demonstrating the nuclear localization of Pk2 is critical for its function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Tao
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
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38
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Abstract
Planar cell polarity is a fundamental concept to understanding the coordination of cell movements in the plane of a tissue. Since the planar cell polarity pathway was discovered in mesenchymal tissues involving cell interaction during vertebrate gastrulation, there is an emerging evidence that a variety of mesenchymal and epithelial cells utilize this genetic pathway to mediate the coordination of cells in directed movements. In this review, we focus on how the planar cell polarity pathway is mediated by migrating cells to communicate with one another in different developmental processes.
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Pan YA, Choy M, Prober DA, Schier AF. Robo2 determines subtype-specific axonal projections of trigeminal sensory neurons. Development 2011; 139:591-600. [PMID: 22190641 DOI: 10.1242/dev.076588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
How neurons connect to form functional circuits is central to the understanding of the development and function of the nervous system. In the somatosensory system, perception of sensory stimuli to the head requires specific connections between trigeminal sensory neurons and their many target areas in the central nervous system. Different trigeminal subtypes have specialized functions and downstream circuits, but it has remained unclear how subtype-specific axonal projection patterns are formed. Using zebrafish as a model system, we followed the development of two trigeminal sensory neuron subtypes: one that expresses trpa1b, a nociceptive channel important for sensing environmental chemicals; and a distinct subtype labeled by an islet1 reporter (Isl1SS). We found that Trpa1b and Isl1SS neurons have overall similar axon trajectories but different branching morphologies and distributions of presynaptic sites. Compared with Trpa1b neurons, Isl1SS neurons display reduced branch growth and synaptogenesis at the hindbrain-spinal cord junction. The subtype-specific morphogenesis of Isl1SS neurons depends on the guidance receptor Robo2. robo2 is preferentially expressed in the Isl1SS subset and inhibits branch growth and synaptogenesis. In the absence of Robo2, Isl1SS afferents acquire many of the characteristics of Trpa1b afferents. These results reveal that subtype-specific activity of Robo2 regulates subcircuit morphogenesis in the trigeminal sensory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Albert Pan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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40
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Walsh GS, Grant PK, Morgan JA, Moens CB. Planar polarity pathway and Nance-Horan syndrome-like 1b have essential cell-autonomous functions in neuronal migration. Development 2011; 138:3033-42. [PMID: 21693519 PMCID: PMC3119310 DOI: 10.1242/dev.063842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Components of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway are required for the caudal tangential migration of facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons, but how PCP signaling regulates this migration is not understood. In a forward genetic screen, we identified a new gene, nhsl1b, required for FBM neuron migration. nhsl1b encodes a WAVE-homology domain-containing protein related to human Nance-Horan syndrome (NHS) protein and Drosophila GUK-holder (Gukh), which have been shown to interact with components of the WAVE regulatory complex that controls cytoskeletal dynamics and with the polarity protein Scribble, respectively. Nhsl1b localizes to FBM neuron membrane protrusions and interacts physically and genetically with Scrib to control FBM neuron migration. Using chimeric analysis, we show that FBM neurons have two modes of migration: one involving interactions between the neurons and their planar-polarized environment, and an alternative, collective mode involving interactions between the neurons themselves. We demonstrate that the first mode of migration requires the cell-autonomous functions of Nhsl1b and the PCP components Scrib and Vangl2 in addition to the non-autonomous functions of Scrib and Vangl2, which serve to polarize the epithelial cells in the environment of the migrating neurons. These results define a role for Nhsl1b as a neuronal effector of PCP signaling and indicate that proper FBM neuron migration is directly controlled by PCP signaling between the epithelium and the migrating neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S Walsh
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Basic Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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