1
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Kingsley EP, Hager ER, Lassance JM, Turner KM, Harringmeyer OS, Kirby C, Neugeboren BI, Hoekstra HE. Adaptive tail-length evolution in deer mice is associated with differential Hoxd13 expression in early development. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:791-805. [PMID: 38378804 PMCID: PMC11009118 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02346-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Variation in the size and number of axial segments underlies much of the diversity in animal body plans. Here we investigate the evolutionary, genetic and developmental mechanisms driving tail-length differences between forest and prairie ecotypes of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). We first show that long-tailed forest mice perform better in an arboreal locomotion assay, consistent with tails being important for balance during climbing. We then identify six genomic regions that contribute to differences in tail length, three of which associate with caudal vertebra length and the other three with vertebra number. For all six loci, the forest allele increases tail length, indicative of the cumulative effect of natural selection. Two of the genomic regions associated with variation in vertebra number contain Hox gene clusters. Of those, we find an allele-specific decrease in Hoxd13 expression in the embryonic tail bud of long-tailed forest mice, consistent with its role in axial elongation. Additionally, we find that forest embryos have more presomitic mesoderm than prairie embryos and that this correlates with an increase in the number of neuromesodermal progenitors, which are modulated by Hox13 paralogues. Together, these results suggest a role for Hoxd13 in the development of natural variation in adaptive morphology on a microevolutionary timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan P Kingsley
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Emily R Hager
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Kyle M Turner
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olivia S Harringmeyer
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher Kirby
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Beverly I Neugeboren
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Environmental Health and Safety, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Frith TJR, Briscoe J, Boezio GLM. From signalling to form: the coordination of neural tube patterning. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:168-231. [PMID: 38729676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate spinal cord involves the formation of the neural tube and the generation of multiple distinct cell types. The process starts during gastrulation, combining axial elongation with specification of neural cells and the formation of the neuroepithelium. Tissue movements produce the neural tube which is then exposed to signals that provide patterning information to neural progenitors. The intracellular response to these signals, via a gene regulatory network, governs the spatial and temporal differentiation of progenitors into specific cell types, facilitating the assembly of functional neuronal circuits. The interplay between the gene regulatory network, cell movement, and tissue mechanics generates the conserved neural tube pattern observed across species. In this review we offer an overview of the molecular and cellular processes governing the formation and patterning of the neural tube, highlighting how the remarkable complexity and precision of vertebrate nervous system arises. We argue that a multidisciplinary and multiscale understanding of the neural tube development, paired with the study of species-specific strategies, will be crucial to tackle the open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Briscoe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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3
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Anand GM, Megale HC, Murphy SH, Weis T, Lin Z, He Y, Wang X, Liu J, Ramanathan S. Controlling organoid symmetry breaking uncovers an excitable system underlying human axial elongation. Cell 2023; 186:497-512.e23. [PMID: 36657443 PMCID: PMC10122509 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The human embryo breaks symmetry to form the anterior-posterior axis of the body. As the embryo elongates along this axis, progenitors in the tail bud give rise to tissues that generate spinal cord, skeleton, and musculature. This raises the question of how the embryo achieves axial elongation and patterning. While ethics necessitate in vitro studies, the variability of organoid systems has hindered mechanistic insights. Here, we developed a bioengineering and machine learning framework that optimizes organoid symmetry breaking by tuning their spatial coupling. This framework enabled reproducible generation of axially elongating organoids, each possessing a tail bud and neural tube. We discovered that an excitable system composed of WNT/FGF signaling drives elongation by inducing a neuromesodermal progenitor-like signaling center. We discovered that instabilities in the excitable system are suppressed by secreted WNT inhibitors. Absence of these inhibitors led to ectopic tail buds and branches. Our results identify mechanisms governing stable human axial elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giridhar M Anand
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Heitor C Megale
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sean H Murphy
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Theresa Weis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Zuwan Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yichun He
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Xiao Wang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sharad Ramanathan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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4
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Abstract
Hox genes encode evolutionarily conserved transcription factors that are essential for the proper development of bilaterian organisms. Hox genes are unique because they are spatially and temporally regulated during development in a manner that is dictated by their tightly linked genomic organization. Although their genetic function during embryonic development has been interrogated, less is known about how these transcription factors regulate downstream genes to direct morphogenetic events. Moreover, the continued expression and function of Hox genes at postnatal and adult stages highlights crucial roles for these genes throughout the life of an organism. Here, we provide an overview of Hox genes, highlighting their evolutionary history, their unique genomic organization and how this impacts the regulation of their expression, what is known about their protein structure, and their deployment in development and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine A. Hubert
- Program in Genetics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Deneen M. Wellik
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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5
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Schnirman RE, Kuo SJ, Kelly RC, Yamaguchi TP. The role of Wnt signaling in the development of the epiblast and axial progenitors. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 153:145-180. [PMID: 36967193 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how the body plan is established during embryogenesis remains a fundamental biological question. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a crucial and highly conserved role in body plan formation, functioning to polarize the primary anterior-posterior (AP) or head-to-tail body axis in most metazoans. In this chapter, we focus on the roles that the mammalian Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays to prepare the pluripotent epiblast for gastrulation, and to elicit the emergence of multipotent axial progenitors from the caudal epiblast. Interactions between Wnt and retinoic acid (RA), another powerful family of developmental signaling molecules, in axial progenitors will also be discussed. Gastrulation movements and somitogenesis result in the anterior displacement of the RA source (the rostral somites and lateral plate mesoderm (LPM)), from the posterior Wnt source (the primitive streak (PS)), leading to the establishment of antiparallel gradients of RA and Wnt that control the self-renewal and successive differentiation of neck, trunk and tail progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel J Kuo
- NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ryan C Kelly
- NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD, United States
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6
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Kim JH, Jin ZW, Abe H, Murakami G, Rodríguez-Vázquez JF, Hinata N. Distal vaginal atresia: a report of a rare type found a late-term fetus and its histological comparison with the normal pelvis. Anat Cell Biol 2022; 55:475-482. [PMID: 36071545 PMCID: PMC9747340 DOI: 10.5115/acb.22.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Solitary distal vaginal atresia is generally caused by a transverse septum or an imperforate hymen. We found a novel type of distal vaginal atresia in a late-term fetus (gestational age approximately 28 weeks) in our histology collection. This fetus had a vaginal vestibule that was closed and covered by a thick subcutaneous tissue beneath the perineal skin in the immediately inferior or superficial side of the imperforate hymen. The uterus, uterine tube, anus, and anal canal had normal development. The urethral rhabdosphincters were well-developed and had a normal topographical relationship with the vagina, but the urethrovaginal sphincter was absent. Thus, vaginal descent seemed to occur normally and form the vestibule. However, the external orifice of the urethra consisted of a highly folded duct with hypertrophied squamous epithelium. Notably, the corpus cavernosum and crus of the clitoris had poor development and were embedded in the subcutaneous tissue, distant from the vestibule. Normally, the cloacal membrane shifts from the bottom of the urogenital sinus to the inferior aspect of the thick and elongated genital tubercle after establishment of the urorectal septum. Therefore, we speculate there was a failure in the transposition of the cloacal membrane caused by decreased elongation of the genital tubercle. The histology of this anomaly strongly suggested that the hymen does not represent a part of the cloacal membrane, but is instead a product that appears during the late recanalization of the distal vagina after vaginal descent. The transverse septum was also likely to form during this recanalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea,Corresponding author: Ji Hyun Kim, Department of Anatomy, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, 20 Geonji-ro, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54907, Korea, E-mail:
| | - Zhe-Wu Jin
- Department of Anatomy, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hiroshi Abe
- Emeritus professor of Akita University, Akita, Japan
| | - Gen Murakami
- Division of Internal Medicine, Cupid Clinic, Iwamizawa, Japan
| | | | - Nobuyuki Hinata
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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7
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Abas R, Masrudin SS, Harun AM, Omar NS, Omar NS. Gastrulation and Body Axes Formation: A Molecular Concept and Its Clinical Correlates. Malays J Med Sci 2022; 29:6-14. [PMID: 36818899 PMCID: PMC9910376 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2022.29.6.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During the third week of human pregnancy, an embryo transforms from two germinal disc layers of hypoblast and epiblast to three germinal layers of endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm. Gastrulation is a complex process that includes cellular mobility, morphogenesis and cell signalling, as well as chemical morphogenic gradients, transcription factors and differential gene expression. During gastrulation, many signalling channels coordinate individual cell actions in precise time and location. These channels control cell proliferation, shape, fate and migration to the correct sites. Subsequently, the anteroposterior (AP), dorsoventral (DV) and left-right (LR) body axes are formed before and during gastrulation via these signalling regulation signals. Hence, the anomalies in gastrulation caused by insults to certain molecular pathways manifest as a wide range of body axes-related disorders. This article outlines the formation of body axes during gastrulation and the anomalies as well as the clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razif Abas
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia,Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Siti Saleha Masrudin
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Noorkardiffa Syawalina Omar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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8
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Cooper F, Gentsch GE, Mitter R, Bouissou C, Healy LE, Rodriguez AH, Smith JC, Bernardo AS. Rostrocaudal patterning and neural crest differentiation of human pre-neural spinal cord progenitors in vitro. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:894-910. [PMID: 35334218 PMCID: PMC9023813 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord emerges from a niche of neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) formed and maintained by WNT/fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signals at the posterior end of the embryo. NMPs can be generated from human pluripotent stem cells and hold promise for spinal cord replacement therapies. However, NMPs are transient, which compromises production of the full range of rostrocaudal spinal cord identities in vitro. Here we report the generation of NMP-derived pre-neural progenitors (PNPs) with stem cell-like self-renewal capacity. PNPs maintain pre-spinal cord identity for 7-10 passages, dividing to self-renew and to make neural crest progenitors, while gradually adopting a more posterior identity by activating colinear HOX gene expression. The HOX clock can be halted through GDF11-mediated signal inhibition to produce a PNP and NC population with a thoracic identity that can be maintained for up to 30 passages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Cooper
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
| | - George E Gentsch
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Richard Mitter
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core Facility, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Camille Bouissou
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Lyn E Healy
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Unit, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ana Hernandez Rodriguez
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - James C Smith
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Andreia S Bernardo
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BX, UK
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9
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Stevens SJC, Stumpel CTRM, Diderich KEM, van Slegtenhorst MA, Abbott MA, Manning C, Balciuniene J, Pyle LC, Leonard J, Murrell JR, van de Putte R, van Rooij IALM, Hoischen A, Lasko P, Brunner HG. The broader phenotypic spectrum of congenital caudal abnormalities associated with mutations in the caudal type homeobox 2 gene. Clin Genet 2021; 101:183-189. [PMID: 34671974 PMCID: PMC9153267 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) gene encodes a developmental regulator involved in caudal body patterning. Only three pathogenic variants in human CDX2 have been described, in patients with persistent cloaca, sirenomelia and/or renal and anogenital malformations. We identified five patients with de novo or inherited pathogenic variants in CDX2 with clinical phenotypes that partially overlap with previous cases, that is, imperforate anus and renal, urogenital and limb abnormalities. However, additional clinical features were seen including vertebral agenesis and we describe considerable phenotypic variability, even in unrelated patients with the same recurrent p.(Arg237His) variant. We propose CDX2 variants as rare genetic cause for a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome that can include features of caudal regression syndrome and VACTERL. A causative role is further substantiated by the relationship between CDX2 and other proteins encoded by genes that were previously linked to caudal abnormalities in humans, for example, TBXT (sacral agenesis and other vertebral segmentation defects) and CDX1 (anorectal malformations). Our findings confirm the essential role of CDX2 in caudal morphogenesis and formation of cloacal derivatives in humans, which to date has only been well characterized in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Servi J C Stevens
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre and GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Constance T R M Stumpel
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre and GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Karin E M Diderich
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Mary-Alice Abbott
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Courtney Manning
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jorune Balciuniene
- Division of Human Genetics and the Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Louise C Pyle
- Division of Human Genetics and the Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Leonard
- Division of Human Genetics and the Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jill R Murrell
- Division of Human Genetics and the Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Romy van de Putte
- Department for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris A L M van Rooij
- Department for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Hoischen
- Department of Genetics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Lasko
- Department of Genetics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Han G Brunner
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre and GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Genetics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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10
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Oluwayiose OA, Marcho C, Wu H, Houle E, Krawetz SA, Suvorov A, Mager J, Richard Pilsner J. Paternal preconception phthalate exposure alters sperm methylome and embryonic programming. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 155:106693. [PMID: 34120004 PMCID: PMC8292217 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Preconception environmental conditions have been demonstrated to shape sperm epigenetics and subsequently offspring health and development. Our previous findings in humans showed that urinary anti-androgenic phthalate metabolites in males were associated with altered sperm methylation and blastocyst-stage embryo development. To corroborate this, we examined the effect of preconception exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in mice. Eight-week old C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to either a vehicle control, low, or high dose of DEHP (2.5 and 25 mg/kg/weight, respectively) for 67 days (~2 spermatogenic cycles) and were subsequently mated with unexposed females. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) of epididymal sperm was performed and gastrulation stage embryos were collected for RRBS and transcriptome analyses in both embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages. Male preconception DEHP exposure resulted in 704 differentially methylated regions (DMRs; q-value < 0.05; ≥10% methylation change) in sperm, 1,716 DMRs in embryonic, and 3,181 DMRs in extra-embryonic tissue. Of these, 29 DMRs overlapped between sperm and F1 tissues, half of which showed concordant methylation changes between F0 and F1 generations. F1 transcriptomes at E7.5 were also altered by male preconception DEHP exposure including developmental gene families such as Hox, Gata, and Sox. Additionally, gene ontology analyses of DMRs and differentially expressed genes showed enrichment of multiple developmental processes including embryonic development, pattern specification and morphogenesis. These data indicate that spermatogenesis in adult may represent a sensitive window in which exposure to DEHP alters the sperm methylome as well as DNA methylation and gene expression in the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladele A Oluwayiose
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Chelsea Marcho
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA; Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Haotian Wu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, NY, USA
| | - Emily Houle
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Alexander Suvorov
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mager
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - J Richard Pilsner
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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11
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Garriock RJ, Chalamalasetty RB, Zhu J, Kennedy MW, Kumar A, Mackem S, Yamaguchi TP. A dorsal-ventral gradient of Wnt3a/β-catenin signals controls mouse hindgut extension and colon formation. Development 2020; 147:dev.185108. [PMID: 32156757 DOI: 10.1242/dev.185108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of Wnt signaling for adult intestinal stem cell homeostasis and colorectal cancer, relatively little is known about its role in colon formation during embryogenesis. The development of the colon starts with the formation and extension of the hindgut. We show that Wnt3a is expressed in the caudal embryo in a dorsal-ventral (DV) gradient across all three germ layers, including the hindgut. Using genetic and lineage-tracing approaches, we describe novel dorsal and ventral hindgut domains, and show that ventrolateral hindgut cells populate the majority of the colonic epithelium. A Wnt3a-β-catenin-Sp5/8 pathway, which is active in the dorsal hindgut endoderm, is required for hindgut extension and colon formation. Interestingly, the absence of Wnt activity in the ventral hindgut is crucial for proper hindgut morphogenesis, as ectopic stabilization of β-catenin in the ventral hindgut via gain- or loss-of-function mutations in Ctnnb1 or Apc, respectively, leads to severe colonic hyperplasia. Thus, the DV Wnt gradient is required to coordinate growth between dorsal and ventral hindgut domains to regulate the extension of the hindgut that leads to colon formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Garriock
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ravindra B Chalamalasetty
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - JianJian Zhu
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Mark W Kennedy
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Susan Mackem
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Terry P Yamaguchi
- Center for Cancer Research, Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Development Section, NCI-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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12
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Lecoquierre F, Brehin A, Coutant S, Coursimault J, Bazin A, Finck W, Benoist G, Begorre M, Beneteau C, Cailliez D, Chenal P, De Jong M, Degré S, Devisme L, Francannet C, Gérard B, Jeanne C, Joubert M, Journel H, Laurichesse Delmas H, Layet V, Liquier A, Mangione R, Patrier S, Pelluard F, Petit F, Tillouche N, Ravenswaaij‐Arts C, Frebourg T, Saugier‐Veber P, Gruchy N, Nicolas G, Gerard M. Exome sequencing identifies the first genetic determinants of sirenomelia in humans. Hum Mutat 2020; 41:926-933. [DOI: 10.1002/humu.23998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- François Lecoquierre
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
| | - Anne‐Claire Brehin
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
- Department of FoetopathologyCHU Rouen Rouen France
| | - Sophie Coutant
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
| | - Juliette Coursimault
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
| | - Anne Bazin
- Département de Génétique et de Biologie SpécialiséeLaboratoire Cerba Saint Ouen l'Aumone France
| | - Wilfrid Finck
- Unité de Foetopathologie, Laboratoire d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiqueCHU Clermont Ferrand Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Guillaume Benoist
- Service de gynécologie‐obstétrique et médecine de la reproductionCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen, Universite de Caen Normandie Caen Basse‐Normandie France
| | | | - Claire Beneteau
- Department of Clinical geneticsCHU Hôpital mère et enfant Nantes France
| | | | - Pierre Chenal
- Department of FoetopathologyHopital Monod Le Havre France
| | - Mirjam De Jong
- Department of GeneticsUniversity Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Christine Francannet
- Centre de référence des anomalies malformatives, Service de génétique médicaleCHU Clermont‐Ferrand Clermont‐Ferrand France
- Centre d'Etude des Malformations Congénitales, CEMC‐AuvergneCHU Clermont‐Ferrand Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Bénédicte Gérard
- Department of GeneticsCHU de Strasbourg, Hôpital CivilStrasbourg France
| | - Corinne Jeanne
- Department of Foetopathology, Centre François BaclesseCHU Côte de NacreCaen France
| | | | | | - Hélène Laurichesse Delmas
- Centre d'Etude des Malformations Congénitales, CEMC‐AuvergneCHU Clermont‐Ferrand Clermont‐Ferrand France
- Unité de Médecine Fœtale, Service de gynécologie‐obstétriqueCHU Clermont‐FerrandClermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Valérie Layet
- Department of Clinical GeneticsHopital MonodLe Havre France
| | | | - Raphaele Mangione
- Departement of RadiologyPolyclinique Bordeaux Nord‐AquitaineBordeaux France
| | | | - Fanny Pelluard
- Service d'Anatomie‐Cytologie PathologiqueCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de BordeauxBordeaux France
- INSERM UMR1053, Bordeaux Research in Translational Oncology, BaRITOnUniversité de Bordeaux Bordeaux France
| | - Florence Petit
- Clinique de Génétique “Guy Fontaine”—Centre de référence CLAD, Hôpital Jeanne de FlandreCHU LilleLille France
| | - Nadia Tillouche
- Pôle Femme‐Mère‐Nouveau‐néCentre Hospitalier de ValenciennesValenciennes France
| | - Conny Ravenswaaij‐Arts
- Department of GeneticsUniversity Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Thierry Frebourg
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
| | - Pascale Saugier‐Veber
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
| | - Nicolas Gruchy
- Department of Genetics, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized MedicineCaen University HospitalCaen France
| | - Gaël Nicolas
- Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Developmental Disorders, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Normandie UnivUNIROUENInserm U1245 and Rouen University Hospital Rouen France
| | - Marion Gerard
- Department of Genetics, Normandy Center for Genomic and Personalized MedicineCaen University HospitalCaen France
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13
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Han J, Yang M, Guo T, Niu C, Liu J, Yue Y, Yuan C, Yang B. Two linked TBXT (brachyury) gene polymorphisms are associated with the tailless phenotype in fat-rumped sheep. Anim Genet 2019; 50:772-777. [PMID: 31475743 PMCID: PMC6899607 DOI: 10.1111/age.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
T‐box transcription factor T (TBXT), encoding the brachyury protein, is an embryonic nuclear transcription factor involved in mesoderm formation and differentiation. Previous studies indicate that TBXT mutations are responsible for the tailless or short‐tailed phenotype of many vertebrates. To verify whether the tailless phenotype in fat‐rumped sheep is associated with TBXT mutations, exon 2 of the TBXT gene for 301 individuals belonging to 13 Chinese and Iranian sheep breeds was directly sequenced. Meanwhile, 380 samples were used to detect the genotypes of the candidate variations by mapping to their reads databases in the Sequence Read Archive repository of GenBank. The results showed that one missense mutation, c.334G>T (GGG>TGG) with a completely linked synonymous variant c.333G>C (CCG>CCC) was found to be associated with the ‘tailless’ characteristic in typical fat‐rumped sheep breeds. The c.334G>T transversion led to the conversion of glycine to tryptophan at the 112th amino acid in the T‐box domain of the brachyury protein. In addition, crossbreeding experiments for long‐tailed and tailless sheep showed that CT/CT allele of nucleotides (nt) 333 and 334, a recessive mutation, would cause sheep tails to be shorter, suggesting that these two linked variants at nucleotides 333 and 334 in TBXT are probably causative mutations responsible for the tailless phenotype in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Han
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China
| | - M Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - T Guo
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - C Niu
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - J Liu
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Y Yue
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.,International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
| | - C Yuan
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - B Yang
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
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14
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Joshi P, Darr AJ, Skromne I. CDX4 regulates the progression of neural maturation in the spinal cord. Dev Biol 2019; 449:132-142. [PMID: 30825428 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The progression of cells down different lineage pathways is a collaborative effort between networks of extracellular signals and intracellular transcription factors. In the vertebrate spinal cord, FGF, Wnt and Retinoic Acid signaling pathways regulate the progressive caudal-to-rostral maturation of neural progenitors by regulating a poorly understood gene regulatory network of transcription factors. We have mapped out this gene regulatory network in the chicken pre-neural tube, identifying CDX4 as a dual-function core component that simultaneously regulates gradual loss of cell potency and acquisition of differentiation states: in a caudal-to-rostral direction, CDX4 represses the early neural differentiation marker Nkx1.2 and promotes the late neural differentiation marker Pax6. Significantly, CDX4 prevents premature PAX6-dependent neural differentiation by blocking Ngn2 activation. This regulation of CDX4 over Pax6 is restricted to the rostral pre-neural tube by Retinoic Acid signaling. Together, our results show that in the spinal cord, CDX4 is part of the gene regulatory network controlling the sequential and progressive transition of states from high to low potency during neural progenitor maturation. Given CDX well-known involvement in Hox gene regulation, we propose that CDX factors coordinate the maturation and axial specification of neural progenitor cells during spinal cord development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyush Joshi
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States; Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, 600 5th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, United States
| | - Andrew J Darr
- Department of Health Sciences Education, University of Illinois College of Medicine, 1 Illini Drive, Peoria, IL 61605, United States
| | - Isaac Skromne
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States; Department of Biology, University of Richmond, 138 UR Drive B322, Richmond, VA, 23173, United States.
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15
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Detection of hypomethylation of H19 in a pregnancy with limb-body wall complex. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2019; 57:769-771. [PMID: 30342671 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2018.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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16
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Hsu JSJ, So M, Tang CSM, Karim A, Porsch RM, Wong C, Yu M, Yeung F, Xia H, Zhang R, Cherny SS, Chung PHY, Wong KKY, Sham PC, Ngo ND, Li M, Tam PKH, Lui VCH, Garcia-Barcelo MM. De novo mutations in Caudal Type Homeo Box transcription Factor 2 (CDX2) in patients with persistent cloaca. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:351-358. [PMID: 29177441 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cloaca is an embryonic cavity that is divided into the urogenital sinus and rectum upon differentiation of the cloacal epithelium triggered by tissue-specific transcription factors including CDX2. Defective differentiation leads to persistent cloaca in humans (PC), a phenotype recapitulated in Cdx2 mutant mice. PC is linked to hypo/hyper-vitaminosis A. Although no gene has ever been identified, there is a strong evidence for a genetic contribution to PC. We applied whole-exome sequencing and copy-number-variants analyses to 21 PC patients and their unaffected parents. The damaging p.Cys132* and p.Arg237His de novo CDX2 variants were identified in two patients. These variants altered the expression of CYP26A1, a direct CDX2 target encoding the major retinoic acid (RA)-degrading enzyme. Other RA genes, including the RA-receptor alpha, were also mutated. Genes governing the development of cloaca-derived structures were recurrently mutated and over-represented in the basement-membrane components set (q-value < 1.65 × 10-6). Joint analysis of the patients' profile highlighted the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway (MsigDBID: M7098, FDR: q-value < 7.16 × 10-9). This is the first evidence that PC is genetic, with genes involved in the RA metabolism at the lead. Given the CDX2 de novo variants and the role of RA, our observations could potentiate preventive measures. For the first time, a gene recapitulating PC in mouse models is found mutated in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S J Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Manting So
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Clara S M Tang
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Anwarul Karim
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Robert M Porsch
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Carol Wong
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Michelle Yu
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fanny Yeung
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huimin Xia
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, Guandong, China
| | - Ruizhong Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, Guandong, China
| | - Stacey S Cherny
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Patrick H Y Chung
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kenneth K Y Wong
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pak C Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Centre for Genomic Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ngoc Diem Ngo
- Department of Human Genetics, National Hospital of Pediatrics, Hà N?i, Vietnam
| | - Miaoxin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Paul K H Tam
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Vincent C H Lui
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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17
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Jeon K, Kumar D, Conway AE, Park K, Jothi R, Jetten AM. GLIS3 Transcriptionally Activates WNT Genes to Promote Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Posterior Neural Progenitors. Stem Cells 2018; 37:202-215. [PMID: 30376208 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Anterior-posterior (A-P) specification of the neural tube involves initial acquisition of anterior fate followed by the induction of posterior characteristics in the primitive anterior neuroectoderm. Several morphogens have been implicated in the regulation of A-P neural patterning; however, our understanding of the upstream regulators of these morphogens remains incomplete. Here, we show that the Krüppel-like zinc finger transcription factor GLI-Similar 3 (GLIS3) can direct differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into posterior neural progenitor cells in lieu of the default anterior pathway. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that this switch in cell fate is due to rapid activation of Wingless/Integrated (WNT) signaling pathway. Mechanistically, through genome-wide RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, and functional analyses, we show that GLIS3 binds to and directly regulates the transcription of several WNT genes, including the strong posteriorizing factor WNT3A, and that inhibition of WNT signaling is sufficient to abrogate GLIS3-induced posterior specification. Our findings suggest a potential role for GLIS3 in the regulation of A-P specification through direct transcriptional activation of WNT genes. Stem Cells 2018 Stem Cells 2019;37:202-215.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilsoo Jeon
- Immunity, Inflammation and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dhirendra Kumar
- Epigenetics & Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amanda E Conway
- Epigenetics & Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyeyoon Park
- NIH Stem Cell Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Raja Jothi
- Epigenetics & Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anton M Jetten
- Immunity, Inflammation and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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18
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Kruepunga N, Hikspoors JPJM, Mekonen HK, Mommen GMC, Meemon K, Weerachatyanukul W, Asuvapongpatana S, Eleonore Köhler S, Lamers WH. The development of the cloaca in the human embryo. J Anat 2018; 233:724-739. [PMID: 30294789 PMCID: PMC6231168 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Subdivision of cloaca into urogenital and anorectal passages has remained controversial because of disagreements about the identity and role of the septum developing between both passages. This study aimed to clarify the development of the cloaca using a quantitative 3D morphological approach in human embryos of 4–10 post‐fertilisation weeks. Embryos were visualised with Amira 3D‐reconstruction and Cinema 4D‐remodelling software. Distances between landmarks were computed with Amira3D software. Our main finding was a pronounced difference in growth between rapidly expanding central and ventral parts, and slowly or non‐growing cranial and dorsal parts. The entrance of the Wolffian duct into the cloaca proved a stable landmark that remained linked to the position of vertebra S3. Suppressed growth in the cranial cloaca resulted in an apparent craniodorsal migration of the entrance of the Wolffian duct, while suppressed growth in the dorsal cloaca changed the entrance of the hindgut from cranial to dorsal on the cloaca. Transformation of this ‘end‐to‐end’ into an ‘end‐to‐side’ junction produced temporary ‘lateral (Rathke's) folds’. The persistent difference in dorsoventral growth straightened the embryonic caudal body axis and concomitantly extended the frontally oriented ‘urorectal (Tourneux's) septum’ caudally between the ventral urogenital and dorsal anorectal parts of the cloaca. The dorsoventral growth difference also divided the cloacal membrane into a well‐developed ventral urethral plate and a thin dorsal cloacal membrane proper, which ruptured at 6.5 weeks. The expansion of the pericloacal mesenchyme followed the dorsoventral growth difference and produced the genital tubercle. Dysregulation of dorsal cloacal development is probably an important cause of anorectal malformations: too little regressive development may result in anorectal agenesis, and too much regression in stenosis or atresia of the remaining part of the dorsal cloaca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nutmethee Kruepunga
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jill P J M Hikspoors
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Hayelom K Mekonen
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Greet M C Mommen
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Krai Meemon
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - S Eleonore Köhler
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter H Lamers
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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19
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Role of HOX Genes in Stem Cell Differentiation and Cancer. Stem Cells Int 2018; 2018:3569493. [PMID: 30154863 PMCID: PMC6081605 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3569493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
HOX genes encode an evolutionarily conserved set of transcription factors that control how the phenotype of an organism becomes organized during development based on its genetic makeup. For example, in bilaterian-type animals, HOX genes are organized in gene clusters that encode anatomic segment identity, that is, whether the embryo will form with bilateral symmetry with a head (anterior), tail (posterior), back (dorsal), and belly (ventral). Although HOX genes are known to regulate stem cell (SC) differentiation and HOX genes are dysregulated in cancer, the mechanisms by which dysregulation of HOX genes in SCs causes cancer development is not fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript was (i) to review the role of HOX genes in SC differentiation, particularly in embryonic, adult tissue-specific, and induced pluripotent SC, and (ii) to investigate how dysregulated HOX genes in SCs are responsible for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We analyzed HOX gene expression in CRC and AML using information from The Cancer Genome Atlas study. Finally, we reviewed the literature on HOX genes and related therapeutics that might help us understand ways to develop SC-specific therapies that target aberrant HOX gene expression that contributes to cancer development.
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20
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López-Escobar B, Caro-Vega JM, Vijayraghavan DS, Plageman TF, Sanchez-Alcazar JA, Moreno RC, Savery D, Márquez-Rivas J, Davidson LA, Ybot-González P. The non-canonical Wnt-PCP pathway shapes the mouse caudal neural plate. Development 2018; 145:dev.157487. [PMID: 29636380 DOI: 10.1242/dev.157487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The last stage of neural tube (NT) formation involves closure of the caudal neural plate (NP), an embryonic structure formed by neuromesodermal progenitors and newly differentiated cells that becomes incorporated into the NT. Here, we show in mouse that, as cell specification progresses, neuromesodermal progenitors and their progeny undergo significant changes in shape prior to their incorporation into the NT. The caudo-rostral progression towards differentiation is coupled to a gradual reliance on a unique combination of complex mechanisms that drive tissue folding, involving pulses of apical actomyosin contraction and planar polarised cell rearrangements, all of which are regulated by the Wnt-PCP pathway. Indeed, when this pathway is disrupted, either chemically or genetically, the polarisation and morphology of cells within the entire caudal NP is disturbed, producing delays in NT closure. The most severe disruptions of this pathway prevent caudal NT closure and result in spina bifida. In addition, a decrease in Vangl2 gene dosage also appears to promote more rapid progression towards a neural fate, but not the specification of more neural cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz López-Escobar
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - José Manuel Caro-Vega
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | | | | | - José A Sanchez-Alcazar
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), and CIBERER, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - Roberto Carlos Moreno
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - Dawn Savery
- Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Javier Márquez-Rivas
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Patricia Ybot-González
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain .,Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Neurología y Neurofisiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla 41009, Spain
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21
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Steventon B, Martinez Arias A. Evo-engineering and the cellular and molecular origins of the vertebrate spinal cord. Dev Biol 2017; 432:3-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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22
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Gouti M, Delile J, Stamataki D, Wymeersch FJ, Huang Y, Kleinjung J, Wilson V, Briscoe J. A Gene Regulatory Network Balances Neural and Mesoderm Specification during Vertebrate Trunk Development. Dev Cell 2017; 41:243-261.e7. [PMID: 28457792 PMCID: PMC5425255 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional networks, regulated by extracellular signals, control cell fate decisions and determine the size and composition of developing tissues. One example is the network controlling bipotent neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) that fuel embryo elongation by generating spinal cord and trunk mesoderm tissue. Here, we use single-cell transcriptomics to identify the molecular signature of NMPs and reverse engineer the mechanism that regulates their differentiation. Together with genetic perturbations, this reveals a transcriptional network that integrates opposing retinoic acid (RA) and Wnt signals to determine the rate at which cells enter and exit the NMP state. RA, produced by newly generated mesodermal cells, provides feedback that initiates NMP generation and induces neural differentiation, thereby coordinating the production of neural and mesodermal tissue. Together, the data define a regulatory network architecture that balances the generation of different cell types from bipotential progenitors in order to facilitate orderly axis elongation. Single-cell RNA-seq reveals a signature of neuromesodermal progenitors In vitro NMPs resemble and differentiate similar to their in vivo counterparts Dual role for retinoic acid signaling in NMP induction and neural differentiation A transcriptional network regulates neural versus mesodermal allocation
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Gouti
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK; Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Julien Delile
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Filip J Wymeersch
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Yali Huang
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Jens Kleinjung
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Valerie Wilson
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - James Briscoe
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
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Posterior tail development in the salamander Eurycea cirrigera: exploring cellular dynamics across life stages. Dev Genes Evol 2017; 227:85-99. [PMID: 28101674 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0573-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, the body axis elongates and specializes. In vertebrate groups such as salamanders and lizards, elongation of the posterior body axis (tail) continues throughout life. This phenomenon of post-embryonic tail elongation via addition of vertebrae has remained largely unexplored, and little is known about the underlying developmental mechanisms that promote vertebral addition. Our research investigated tail elongation across life stages in a non-model salamander species, Eurycea cirrigera (Plethodontidae). Post-embryonic addition of segments suggests that the tail tip retains some aspects of embryonic cell/tissue organization and gene expression throughout the life cycle. We describe cell and tissue differentiation and segmentation of the posterior tail using serial histology and expression of the axial tissue markers, MF-20 and Pax6. Embryonic expression patterns of HoxA13 and C13 are shown with in situ hybridization. Tissue sections reveal that the posterior spinal cord forms via cavitation and precedes development of the underlying cartilaginous rod after embryogenesis. Post-embryonic tail elongation occurs in the absence of somites and mesenchymal cells lateral to the midline express MF-20. Pax6 expression was observed only in the spinal cord and some mesenchymal cells of adult Eurycea tails. Distinct temporal and spatial patterns of posterior Hox13 gene expression were observed throughout embryogenesis. Overall, important insights to cell organization, differentiation, and posterior Hox gene expression may be gained from this work. We suggest that further work on gene expression in the elongating adult tail could shed light on mechanisms that link continual axial elongation with regeneration.
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Essential roles for Cdx in murine primitive hematopoiesis. Dev Biol 2017; 422:115-124. [PMID: 28065741 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Cdx transcription factors play essential roles in primitive hematopoiesis in the zebrafish where they exert their effects, in part, through regulation of hox genes. Defects in hematopoiesis have also been reported in Cdx mutant murine embryonic stem cell models, however, to date no mouse model reflecting the zebrafish Cdx mutant hematopoietic phenotype has been described. This is likely due, in part, to functional redundancy among Cdx members and the early lethality of Cdx2 null mutants. To circumvent these limitations, we used Cre-mediated conditional deletion to assess the impact of concomitant loss of Cdx1 and Cdx2 on murine primitive hematopoiesis. We found that Cdx1/Cdx2 double mutants exhibited defects in primitive hematopoiesis and yolk sac vasculature concomitant with reduced expression of several genes encoding hematopoietic transcription factors including Scl/Tal1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Scl was occupied by Cdx2 in vivo, and Cdx mutant hematopoietic yolk sac differentiation defects could be rescued by expression of exogenous Scl. These findings demonstrate critical roles for Cdx members in murine primitive hematopoiesis upstream of Scl.
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25
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Cdx and T Brachyury Co-activate Growth Signaling in the Embryonic Axial Progenitor Niche. Cell Rep 2016; 17:3165-3177. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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Zhang X, Chen Y, Ye Y, Wang J, Wang H, Yuan G, Lin Z, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Lin X. Wnt signaling promotes hindgut fate commitment through regulating multi-lineage genes during hESC differentiation. Cell Signal 2016; 29:12-22. [PMID: 27693749 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2016.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Wnt signaling plays essential roles in both embryonic pattern formation and postembryonic tissue homoestasis. High levels of Wnt activity repress foregut identity and facilitate hindgut fate through forming a gradient of Wnt signaling activity along the anterior-posterior axis. Here, we examined the mechanisms of Wnt signaling in hindgut development by differentiating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into the hindgut progenitors. We observed severe morphological changes when Wnt signaling was blocked by using Wnt antagonist Dkk1. We performed deep-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and identified 240 Wnt-activated genes and 2023 Wnt-repressed genes, respectively. Clusters of Wnt targets showed enrichment in specific biological functions, such as "gastrointestinal or skeletal development" in the Wnt-activated targets and "neural or immune system development" in the Wnt-repressed targets. Moreover, we adopted a high-throughput chromatin immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) approach to identify the genomic regions through which Wnt-activated transcription factor TCF7L2 regulated transcription. We identified 83 Wnt direct target candidates, including the hindgut marker CDX2 and the genes relevant to morphogenesis (MSX1, MSX2, LEF1, T, PDGFRB etc.) through combinatorial analysis of the RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data. Together, our study identified a series of direct and indirect Wnt targets in hindgut differentiation, and uncovered the diverse mechanisms of Wnt signaling in regulating multi-lineage differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianfeng Wang
- Core Genomic Facility, CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences & Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guohong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yihui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinhua Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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27
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Gredler ML. Developmental and Evolutionary Origins of the Amniote Phallus. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:694-704. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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28
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Tang XB, Zhang J, Wang WL, Yuan ZW, Bai YZ. The expression analysis of Bmpr1a and Bmp2 during hindgut development in rat embryos with anorectal malformations. Exp Mol Pathol 2016; 101:143-9. [PMID: 27477499 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine Bmpr1a and Bmp2 expression patterns during anorectal development in normal and anorectal malformation (ARM) embryos with a view to establishing the possible role of Bmpr1a and Bmp2 in ARM pathogenesis. ARM was induced with ethylenethiourea on the 10th gestational day (GD10) in rat embryos. The embryos were harvested by Cesarean deliveries. The expression of Bmpr1a and Bmp2 was evaluated in normal rat embryos (n=213) and ARM embryos (n=236) from GD14 to GD16. Immunohistochemical staining revealed, in normal embryos, that Bmpr1a and Bmp2 was mainly expressed on the epithelium of the urorectal septum (URS) and the cloacal membrane (CM) on GD14 and GD15. When the rectum separated from the urogenital sinus (UGS) on GD16, Bmpr1a- and Bmp2-immunolabeled cells were observed on the anorectal epithelium. In ARM embryos, the epithelium of the hindgut and URS demonstrated faint immunostaining for Bmpr1a and Bmp2. Analyses by Western blot and Real-time PCR revealed that Bmpr1a and Bmp2 protein and mRNA expression were significantly decreased in the ARM hindgut compared with normal hindgut on GD14 and GD15 (P<0.05). In ARM embryos, an imbalance in the spatiotemporal expression of Bmpr1a and Bmp2 was noted during anorectal morphogenesis from GD14 to GD16. Therefore, downregulation of Bmpr1a and Bmp2 at the time of cloacal separation into the primitive rectum and UGS might be related to the development of ARM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Bing Tang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, PR China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Children's Hospital of Qingdao City, Qingdao 266034, PR China
| | - Wei Lin Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, PR China
| | - Zheng Wei Yuan
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shenyang 110004, PR China
| | - Yu Zuo Bai
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, PR China.
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Giusti J, Pinhal D, Moxon S, Campos CL, Münsterberg A, Martins C. MicroRNA-10 modulates Hox genes expression during Nile tilapia embryonic development. Mech Dev 2016; 140:12-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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30
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Tang XB, Zhang T, Wang WL, Yuan ZW, Bai YZ. Spatiotemporal distribution of caudal-type homeobox proteins during development of the hindgut and anorectum in human embryos. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1771. [PMID: 27042391 PMCID: PMC4811170 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. The objectives of this study were to determine the spatiotemporal distribution of human caudal-type homeobox proteins CDX1, CDX2 and CDX4 during development of the hindgut and anorectum in the embryo and to explore the possible roles of CDX genes during morphogenesis of the hindgut and anorectum. Methods. Embryos (89) were cut into sections serially and sagittally. From gestation weeks 4–9, CDX1, CDX2 and CDX4 proteins were detected on the caudal midline by immunohistochemical staining. Results. During week 4, extensive immunoreactivity of CDX1, CDX2 and CDX4 was detected in the dorsal urorectal septum, urogenital sinus and hindgut. From weeks 5–7, CDX1-, CDX2- and CDX4- positive cells were detected mainly in the mesenchyme of the urorectal septum and hindgut. The levels of CDX2 and CDX4 immunoreactivity were lower compared to CDX1. During weeks 8 and 9, the anorectal epithelium stained positive for CDX1 and CDX4, and the anal epithelium was positive for CDX2. Conclusions. The CDX proteins are constantly distributed during development of the hindgut and anorectum and exhibit overlapping distribution patterns in the cloaca/hindgut, suggesting they are important in the morphogenesis of the human hindgut and anorectum. CDX genes might be involved in development of the anorectal epithelium after the rectum has separated from the urorectal septum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Bing Tang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital , Shenyang, Liaoning , China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University , Baoding, Hebei , China
| | - Wei Lin Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital , Shenyang, Liaoning , China
| | - Zheng Wei Yuan
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation , Shenyang, Liaoning , China
| | - Yu Zuo Bai
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital , Shenyang, Liaoning , China
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Garstang MG, Osborne PW, Ferrier DEK. TCF/Lef regulates the Gsx ParaHox gene in central nervous system development in chordates. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:57. [PMID: 26940763 PMCID: PMC4776371 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0614-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ParaHox genes play an integral role in the anterior-posterior (A-P) patterning of the nervous system and gut of most animals. The ParaHox cluster is an ideal system in which to study the evolution and regulation of developmental genes and gene clusters, as it displays similar regulatory phenomena to its sister cluster, the Hox cluster, but offers a much simpler system with only three genes. RESULTS Using Ciona intestinalis transgenics, we isolated a regulatory element upstream of Branchiostoma floridae Gsx that drives expression within the central nervous system of Ciona embryos. The minimal amphioxus enhancer region required to drive CNS expression has been identified, along with surrounding sequence that increases the efficiency of reporter expression throughout the Ciona CNS. TCF/Lef binding sites were identified and mutagenized and found to be required to drive the CNS expression. Also, individual contributions of TCF/Lef sites varied across the regulatory region, revealing a partial division of function across the Bf-Gsx-Up regulatory element. Finally, when all TCF/Lef binding sites are mutated CNS expression is not only abolished, but a latent repressive function is also unmasked. CONCLUSIONS We have identified a B. floridae Gsx upstream regulatory element that drives CNS expression within transgenic Ciona intestinalis, and have shown that this CNS expression is dependent upon TCF/Lef binding sites. We examine the evolutionary and developmental implications of these results, and discuss the possibility of TCF/Lef not only as a regulator of chordate Gsx, but as a deeply conserved regulatory factor controlling all three ParaHox genes across the Metazoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myles G Garstang
- The Scottish Oceans Institute, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | - Peter W Osborne
- The Scottish Oceans Institute, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | - David E K Ferrier
- The Scottish Oceans Institute, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK.
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32
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Henrique D, Abranches E, Verrier L, Storey KG. Neuromesodermal progenitors and the making of the spinal cord. Development 2015; 142:2864-75. [PMID: 26329597 PMCID: PMC4958456 DOI: 10.1242/dev.119768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neuromesodermal progenitors (NMps) contribute to both the elongating spinal cord and the adjacent paraxial mesoderm. It has been assumed that these cells arise as a result of patterning of the anterior neural plate. However, as the molecular mechanisms that specify NMps in vivo are uncovered, and as protocols for generating these bipotent cells from mouse and human pluripotent stem cells in vitro are established, the emerging data suggest that this view needs to be revised. Here, we review the characteristics, regulation, in vitro derivation and in vivo induction of NMps. We propose that these cells arise within primitive streak-associated epiblast via a mechanism that is separable from that which establishes neural fate in the anterior epiblast. We thus argue for the existence of two distinct routes for making central nervous system progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domingos Henrique
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular and Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Elsa Abranches
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular and Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Laure Verrier
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Kate G Storey
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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33
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Fantini S, Salsi V, Vitobello A, Rijli FM, Zappavigna V. MicroRNA-196b is transcribed from an autonomous promoter and is directly regulated by Cdx2 and by posterior Hox proteins during embryogenesis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2015; 1849:1066-80. [PMID: 26141604 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2015.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The miR-196 miRNA gene family located within the Hox gene clusters has been shown to function during embryogenesis and to be aberrantly expressed in various malignancies, including leukaemia, melanoma, and colorectal cancer. Despite its involvement in numerous biological processes, the control of miR-196 expression is still poorly defined. We identified the miR-196b promoter and found that the mature miR-196b originates from a large, non-coding primary transcript, which starts within an autonomous TATA box promoter and is not in physical continuity with either the Hoxa10 or Hoxa9 main primary transcripts. A ~680bp genomic fragment, spanning the pri-miR-196b transcription start site, is sufficient to recapitulate the neural tube expression pattern of miR-196 during embryogenesis. This region contains potential binding sites for Cdx and 5'Hox transcription factors. Two of these sites revealed to be necessary for neural tube expression and were bound in vivo by Cdx2 and Hoxd13. We show that Cdx2 is required for miR-196 expression and that both Cdx2 and 5'Hox, but not 3'Hox, are able to activate the miR-196b promoter. The possible role of Cdx2- and 5'Hox-mediated regulation of miR-196 expression in vertebrate anterior-posterior (AP) axis formation during embryogenesis is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Fantini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/d, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Valentina Salsi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/d, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Antonio Vitobello
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Filippo M Rijli
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Zappavigna
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/d, Modena 41125, Italy.
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Mesenchymal-epithelial interactions during digestive tract development and epithelial stem cell regeneration. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:3883-96. [PMID: 26126787 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1975-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract develops from a simple and uniform tube into a complex organ with specific differentiation patterns along the anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral axes of asymmetry. It is derived from all three germ layers and their cross-talk is important for the regulated development of fetal and adult gastrointestinal structures and organs. Signals from the adjacent mesoderm are essential for the morphogenesis of the overlying epithelium. These mesenchymal-epithelial interactions govern the development and regionalization of the different gastrointestinal epithelia and involve most of the key morphogens and signaling pathways, such as the Hedgehog, BMPs, Notch, WNT, HOX, SOX and FOXF cascades. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying mesenchyme differentiation into smooth muscle cells influence the regionalization of the gastrointestinal epithelium through interactions with the enteric nervous system. In the neonatal and adult gastrointestinal tract, mesenchymal-epithelial interactions are essential for the maintenance of the epithelial regionalization and digestive epithelial homeostasis. Disruption of these interactions is also associated with bowel dysfunction potentially leading to epithelial tumor development. In this review, we will discuss various aspects of the mesenchymal-epithelial interactions observed during digestive epithelium development and differentiation and also during epithelial stem cell regeneration.
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35
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De Kumar B, Parrish ME, Slaughter BD, Unruh JR, Gogol M, Seidel C, Paulson A, Li H, Gaudenz K, Peak A, McDowell W, Fleharty B, Ahn Y, Lin C, Smith E, Shilatifard A, Krumlauf R. Analysis of dynamic changes in retinoid-induced transcription and epigenetic profiles of murine Hox clusters in ES cells. Genome Res 2015; 25:1229-43. [PMID: 26025802 PMCID: PMC4510006 DOI: 10.1101/gr.184978.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The clustered Hox genes, which are highly conserved across metazoans, encode homeodomain-containing transcription factors that provide a blueprint for segmental identity along the body axis. Recent studies have underscored that in addition to encoding Hox genes, the homeotic clusters contain key noncoding RNA genes that play a central role in development. In this study, we have taken advantage of genome-wide approaches to provide a detailed analysis of retinoic acid (RA)-induced transcriptional and epigenetic changes within the homeotic clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells. Although there is a general colinear response, our analyses suggest a lack of strict colinearity for several genes in the HoxA and HoxB clusters. We have identified transcribed novel noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and their cis-regulatory elements that function in response to RA and demonstrated that the expression of these ncRNAs from both strands represent some of the most rapidly induced transcripts in ES cells. Finally, we have provided dynamic analyses of chromatin modifications for the coding and noncoding genes expressed upon activation and suggest that active transcription can occur in the presence of chromatin modifications and machineries associated with repressed transcription state over the clusters. Overall, our data provide a resource for a better understanding of the dynamic nature of the coding and noncoding transcripts and their associated chromatin marks in the regulation of homeotic gene transcription during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Mark E Parrish
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Brian D Slaughter
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Jay R Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Madelaine Gogol
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Christopher Seidel
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Ariel Paulson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Hua Li
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Karin Gaudenz
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Allison Peak
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - William McDowell
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Brian Fleharty
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Youngwook Ahn
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Chengqi Lin
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Edwin Smith
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Ali Shilatifard
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
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Ren X, Mi J, Jia H, Gao H, Bai Y, Wang W. Reduced Wnt3a expression correlates with poor development of the hindgut in rats with anorectal malformations. Exp Mol Pathol 2015; 99:81-5. [PMID: 26024594 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Revised: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Embryogenesis is orchestrated by the wingless-type MMTV integration site family (WNT) signaling pathways, including Wnt3a. This study was performed to investigate the expression of Wnt3a in the terminal hindgut in ethylenethiourea (ETU)-exposed rat embryos with anorectal malformations (ARMs) and its potential association between Wnt3a and the maldevelopment of the terminal hindgut in ARMs. ARM rat embryos were induced by ethylenethiourea on embryonic day 10 (E10). The expression levels of protein and mRNA of Wnt3a were confirmed using immunohistochemistry staining, Western blotting analyses, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in normal rat and ARM embryos. Immunostaining revealed a variation in the expression of Wnt3a in the developing terminal hindgut of ARM embryos. The expression of Wnt3a in the terminal hindgut of ARM rat embryos decreased at both the mRNA level and protein level (P<0.05) compared with normal tissues. This study demonstrated that the expression of Wnt3a in the ARMs of ETU-exposed rat embryos was remarkably reduced, which indicated its potential role in the pathogenesis of the terminal hindgut maldevelopment in ARMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiantian Ren
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, PR China
| | - Jie Mi
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, PR China
| | - Huimin Jia
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, PR China.
| | - Hong Gao
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, PR China
| | - Yuzuo Bai
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, PR China
| | - Weilin Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, PR China
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Gouti M, Metzis V, Briscoe J. The route to spinal cord cell types: a tale of signals and switches. Trends Genet 2015; 31:282-9. [PMID: 25823696 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that control induction and elaboration of the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) requires an analysis of the extrinsic signals and downstream transcriptional networks that assign cell fates in the correct space and time. We focus on the generation and patterning of the spinal cord. We summarize evidence that the origin of the spinal cord is distinct from the anterior regions of the CNS. We discuss how this affects the gene regulatory networks and cell state transitions that specify spinal cord cell subtypes, and we highlight how the timing of extracellular signals and dynamic control of transcriptional networks contribute to the correct spatiotemporal generation of different neural cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Gouti
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - Vicki Metzis
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK
| | - James Briscoe
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK.
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Vertebral and spinal dysplasia: A novel dominantly inherited congenital defect in Holstein cattle. Vet J 2015; 204:287-92. [PMID: 25862397 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring and surveillance strategies are imperative for managing genetic defects in livestock populations in order to avoid detrimental effects on animal welfare and productivity. Recently, a number of previously unknown defects have been described in cattle, fostered by the huge progress in genome analysis and genomic selection. In response to reports about a potentially new defect in Holstein cattle, case-control studies were carried out to confirm a genetic background of the defect and to evaluate its phenotypic relevance. Eighty-five potentially affected offspring of a suspected carrier sire for the defect and 41 matched control calves were subjected to clinical and epidemiological monitoring on 39 farms. Forty-one animals, all offspring of the suspected carrier sire, showed pathognomonic tail malformations providing highly significant evidence for a congenital inherited defect, which was subsequently termed vertebral and spinal dysplasia (VSD). The defect is characterised by vertebral (specifically tail) deformities and neurological dysfunctions with gait abnormalities of the hind limbs. The deformities and neurological dysfunctions varied from very mild (only tail deformities) to severe (paraparesis). Detailed epidemiological monitoring provided no indication of environmental factors affecting VSD. The malformations and dysfunctions associated with VSD, as well as its mode of inheritance and the genotyping of the suspected carrier sire, indicated that VSD is a defect previously not described in cattle. VSD is inherited in a dominant mode, but shows incomplete penetrance of the phenotype, which impedes unequivocal identification of VSD carriers. A direct diagnostic genetic test for VSD is available.
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Abstract
A key common feature all but three known mammalian genera is the strict seven cervical vertebrae blueprint, suggesting the involvement of strong conserving selection forces during mammalian radiation. This is further supported by reports indicating that children with cervical ribs die before they reach reproductive age. Hypotheses were put up, associating cervical ribs (homeotic transformations) to embryonal cancer (e.g., neuroblastoma) or ascribing the constraint in cervical vertebral count to the development of the mammalian diaphragm. Here, we describe a spontaneous mutation c.196A > G in the Bos taurus T gene (also known as brachyury) associated with a cervical vertebral homeotic transformation that violates the fundamental mammalian cervical blueprint, but does not preclude reproduction of the affected individual. Genome-wide mapping, haplotype tracking within a large pedigree, resequencing of target genome regions, and bioinformatic analyses unambiguously confirmed the mutant c.196G allele as causal for this previously unknown defect termed vertebral and spinal dysplasia (VSD) by providing evidence for the mutation event. The nonsynonymous VSD mutation is located within the highly conserved T box of the T gene, which plays a fundamental role in eumetazoan body organization and vertebral development. To our knowledge, VSD is the first unequivocally approved spontaneous mutation decreasing cervical vertebrae number in a large mammal. The spontaneous VSD mutation in the bovine T gene is the first in vivo evidence for the hypothesis that the T protein is directly involved in the maintenance of the mammalian seven-cervical vertebra blueprint. It therefore furthers our knowledge of the T-protein function and early mammalian notochord development.
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Turner DA, Hayward PC, Baillie-Johnson P, Rué P, Broome R, Faunes F, Martinez Arias A. Wnt/β-catenin and FGF signalling direct the specification and maintenance of a neuromesodermal axial progenitor in ensembles of mouse embryonic stem cells. Development 2015; 141:4243-53. [PMID: 25371361 PMCID: PMC4302903 DOI: 10.1242/dev.112979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The development of the central nervous system is known to result from two sequential events. First, an inductive event of the mesoderm on the overlying ectoderm that generates a neural plate that, after rolling into a neural tube, acts as the main source of neural progenitors. Second, the axial regionalization of the neural plate that will result in the specification of neurons with different anteroposterior identities. Although this description of the process applies with ease to amphibians and fish, it is more difficult to confirm in amniote embryos. Here, a specialized population of cells emerges at the end of gastrulation that, under the influence of Wnt and FGF signalling, expands and generates the spinal cord and the paraxial mesoderm. This population is known as the long-term neuromesodermal precursor (NMp). Here, we show that controlled increases of Wnt/β-catenin and FGF signalling during adherent culture differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) generates a population with many of the properties of the NMp. A single-cell analysis of gene expression within this population reveals signatures that are characteristic of stem cell populations. Furthermore, when this activation is triggered in three-dimensional aggregates of mESCs, the population self-organizes macroscopically and undergoes growth and axial elongation that mimics some of the features of the embryonic spinal cord and paraxial mesoderm. We use both adherent and three-dimensional cultures of mESCs to probe the establishment and maintenance of NMps and their differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Turner
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | | | | | - Pau Rué
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Rebecca Broome
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Fernando Faunes
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
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Abstract
Limb body wall complex (LBWC) is characterized by multiple severe congenital malformations including an abdominal and/or thoracic wall defect covered by amnion, a short or absent umbilical cord with the placenta almost attached to the anterior fetal wall, intestinal malrotation, scoliosis, and lower extremity anomalies. There is no consensus about the etiology of LBWC and many cases with abnormal facial cleft do not meet the requirements for the true complex. We describe a series of four patients with LBWC and other malformations in an attempt to explain their etiology. There are several reports of fetuses with LBWC and absent gallbladder and one of our patients also had polysplenia. Absent gallbladder and polysplenia are associated with laterality genes including HOX, bFGF, transforming growth factor beta/activins/BMP4, WNT 1-8, and SHH. We postulate that this severe malformation may be due to abnormal genes involved in laterality and caudal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Gajzer
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami, Holtz Children's Hospital , Miami, Florida , USA
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Zeidler C, Woelfle J, Draaken M, Mughal SS, Große G, Hilger AC, Dworschak GC, Boemers TM, Jenetzky E, Zwink N, Lacher M, Schmidt D, Schmiedeke E, Grasshoff-Derr S, Märzheuser S, Holland-Cunz S, Schäfer M, Bartels E, Keppler K, Palta M, Leonhardt J, Kujath C, Rißmann A, Nöthen MM, Reutter H, Ludwig M. Heterozygous FGF8 mutations in patients presenting cryptorchidism and multiple VATER/VACTERL features without limb anomalies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 100:750-9. [PMID: 25131394 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The acronym VATER/VACTERL association describes the combination of at least three of the following cardinal features: vertebral defects, anorectal malformations, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula with or without esophageal atresia, renal malformations, and limb defects. Although fibroblast growth factor-8 (FGF8) mutations have mainly found in patients with Kallmann syndrome, mice with a hypomorphic Fgf8 allele or complete gene invalidation display, aside from gonadotropin-releasing hormone deficiency, parts or even the entire spectrum of human VATER/VACTERL association. METHODS We performed FGF8 gene analysis in 49 patients with VATER/VACTERL association and 27 patients presenting with a VATER/VACTERL-like phenotype (two cardinal features). RESULTS We identified two heterozygous FGF8 mutations in patients displaying either VATER/VACTERL association (p.Gly29_Arg34dup) or a VATER/VACTERL-like phenotype (p.Pro26Leu) without limb anomalies. Whereas the duplication mutation has not been reported before, p.Pro26Leu was once observed in a Kallmann syndrome patient. Both our patients had additional bilateral cryptorchidism, a key phenotypic feature in males with FGF8 associated Kallmann syndrome. Each mutation was paternally inherited. Besides delayed puberty in both and additional unilateral cryptorchidism in one of the fathers, they were otherwise healthy. Serum hormone levels downstream the gonadotropin-releasing hormone in both patients and their fathers were within normal range. CONCLUSION Our results suggest FGF8 mutations to contribute to the formation of the VATER/VACTERL association. Further studies are needed to support this observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Zeidler
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Gouti M, Tsakiridis A, Wymeersch FJ, Huang Y, Kleinjung J, Wilson V, Briscoe J. In vitro generation of neuromesodermal progenitors reveals distinct roles for wnt signalling in the specification of spinal cord and paraxial mesoderm identity. PLoS Biol 2014; 12:e1001937. [PMID: 25157815 PMCID: PMC4144800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells of the spinal cord and somites arise from shared, dual-fated precursors, located towards the posterior of the elongating embryo. Here we show that these neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) can readily be generated in vitro from mouse and human pluripotent stem cells by activating Wnt and Fgf signalling, timed to emulate in vivo development. Similar to NMPs in vivo, these cells co-express the neural factor Sox2 and the mesodermal factor Brachyury and differentiate into neural and paraxial mesoderm in vitro and in vivo. The neural cells produced by NMPs have spinal cord but not anterior neural identity and can differentiate into spinal cord motor neurons. This is consistent with the shared origin of spinal cord and somites and the distinct ontogeny of the anterior and posterior nervous system. Systematic analysis of the transcriptome during differentiation identifies the molecular correlates of each of the cell identities and the routes by which they are obtained. Moreover, we take advantage of the system to provide evidence that Brachyury represses neural differentiation and that signals from mesoderm are not necessary to induce the posterior identity of spinal cord cells. This indicates that the mesoderm inducing and posteriorising functions of Wnt signalling represent two molecularly separate activities. Together the data illustrate how reverse engineering normal developmental mechanisms allows the differentiation of specific cell types in vitro and the analysis of previous difficult to access aspects of embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Gouti
- MRC-National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anestis Tsakiridis
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Filip J. Wymeersch
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Yali Huang
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jens Kleinjung
- MRC-National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Valerie Wilson
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James Briscoe
- MRC-National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
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Hox gene regulation and timing in embryogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2014; 34:76-84. [PMID: 24930771 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes are critical regulators of embryonic development in bilaterian animals. They exhibit a unique mode of transcriptional regulation where the position of the genes along the chromosome corresponds to the time and place of their expression during development. The sequential temporal activation of these genes in the primitive streak helps determining their subsequent pattern of expression along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo, yet the precise correspondence between these two collinear processes is not fully understood. In addition, vertebrate Hox genes evolved similar modes of regulation along secondary body axes, such as the developing limbs. We review the current understanding of the mechanisms operating during activation, maintenance and silencing of Hox gene expression in these various contexts, and discuss the evolutionary significance of their genomic organization.
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Young JJ, Kjolby RAS, Kong NR, Monica SD, Harland RM. Spalt-like 4 promotes posterior neural fates via repression of pou5f3 family members in Xenopus. Development 2014; 141:1683-93. [PMID: 24715458 DOI: 10.1242/dev.099374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian neural development occurs as a two-step process: (1) induction specifies a neural fate in undifferentiated ectoderm; and (2) transformation induces posterior spinal cord and hindbrain. Signaling through the Fgf, retinoic acid (RA) and Wnt/β-catenin pathways is necessary and sufficient to induce posterior fates in the neural plate, yet a mechanistic understanding of the process is lacking. Here, we screened for factors enriched in posterior neural tissue and identify spalt-like 4 (sall4), which is induced by Fgf. Knockdown of Sall4 results in loss of spinal cord marker expression and increased expression of pou5f3.2 (oct25), pou5f3.3 (oct60) and pou5f3.1 (oct91) (collectively, pou5f3 genes), the closest Xenopus homologs of mammalian stem cell factor Pou5f1 (Oct4). Overexpression of the pou5f3 genes results in the loss of spinal cord identity and knockdown of pou5f3 function restores spinal cord marker expression in Sall4 morphants. Finally, knockdown of Sall4 blocks the posteriorizing effects of Fgf and RA signaling in the neurectoderm. These results suggest that Sall4, activated by posteriorizing signals, represses the pou5f3 genes to provide a permissive environment allowing for additional Wnt/Fgf/RA signals to posteriorize the neural plate.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Young
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Annunziata R, Arnone MI. A dynamic regulatory network explains ParaHox gene control of gut patterning in the sea urchin. Development 2014; 141:2462-72. [PMID: 24850857 DOI: 10.1242/dev.105775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The anteroposterior patterning of the embryonic gut represents one of the most intriguing biological processes in development. A dynamic control of gene transcription regulation and cell movement is perfectly orchestrated to shape a functional gut in distinct specialized parts. Two ParaHox genes, Xlox and Cdx, play key roles in vertebrate and sea urchin gut patterning through molecular mechanisms that are still mostly unclear. Here, we have combined functional analysis methodologies with high-resolution imaging and RNA-seq to investigate Xlox and Cdx regulation and function. We reveal part of the regulatory machinery responsible for the onset of Xlox and Cdx transcription, uncover a Wnt10 signal that mediates Xlox repression in the intestinal cells, and provide evidence of Xlox- and Cdx-mediated control of stomach and intestine differentiation, respectively. Our findings offer a novel mechanistic explanation of how the control of transcription is linked to cell differentiation and morphogenesis for the development of a perfectly organized biological system such as the sea urchin larval gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Annunziata
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Villa Comunale, Napoli 80121, Italy
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Villa Comunale, Napoli 80121, Italy
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Temporal and spatial expression of caudal-type homeobox gene-2 during hindgut development in rat embryos with ethylenethiourea-induced anorectal malformations. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 357:83-90. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-014-1858-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Runck LA, Method A, Bischoff A, Levitt M, Peña A, Collins MH, Gupta A, Shanmukhappa S, Wells JM, Guasch G. Defining the molecular pathologies in cloaca malformation: similarities between mouse and human. Dis Model Mech 2014; 7:483-93. [PMID: 24524909 PMCID: PMC3974458 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.014530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorectal malformations are congenital anomalies that form a spectrum of disorders, from the most benign type with excellent functional prognosis, to very complex, such as cloaca malformation in females in which the rectum, vagina and urethra fail to develop separately and instead drain via a single common channel into the perineum. The severity of this phenotype suggests that the defect occurs in the early stages of embryonic development of the organs derived from the cloaca. Owing to the inability to directly investigate human embryonic cloaca development, current research has relied on the use of mouse models of anorectal malformations. However, even studies of mouse embryos lack analysis of the earliest stages of cloaca patterning and morphogenesis. Here we compared human and mouse cloaca development and retrospectively identified that early mis-patterning of the embryonic cloaca might underlie the most severe forms of anorectal malformation in humans. In mouse, we identified that defective sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling results in early dorsal-ventral epithelial abnormalities prior to the reported defects in septation. This is manifested by the absence of Sox2 and aberrant expression of keratins in the embryonic cloaca of Shh knockout mice. Shh knockout embryos additionally develop a hypervascular stroma, which is defective in BMP signaling. These epithelial and stromal defects persist later, creating an indeterminate epithelium with molecular alterations in the common channel. We then used these animals to perform a broad comparison with patients with mild-to-severe forms of anorectal malformations including cloaca malformation. We found striking parallels with the Shh mouse model, including nearly identical defective molecular identity of the epithelium and surrounding stroma. Our work strongly suggests that early embryonic cloacal epithelial differentiation defects might be the underlying cause of severe forms of anorectal malformations in humans. Moreover, deranged Shh and BMP signaling is correlated with severe anorectal malformations in both mouse and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Runck
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Posterior elongation in the annelid Platynereis dumerilii involves stem cells molecularly related to primordial germ cells. Dev Biol 2013; 382:246-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Neijts R, Simmini S, Giuliani F, van Rooijen C, Deschamps J. Region-specific regulation of posterior axial elongation during vertebrate embryogenesis. Dev Dyn 2013; 243:88-98. [PMID: 23913366 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The vertebrate body axis extends sequentially from the posterior tip of the embryo, fueled by the gastrulation process at the primitive streak and its continuation within the tailbud. Anterior structures are generated early, and subsequent nascent tissues emerge from the posterior growth zone and continue to elongate the axis until its completion. The underlying processes have been shown to be disrupted in mouse mutants, some of which were described more than half a century ago. RESULTS Important progress in elucidating the cellular and genetic events involved in body axis elongation has recently been made on several fronts. Evidence for the residence of self-renewing progenitors, some of which are bipotential for neurectoderm and mesoderm, has been obtained by embryo-grafting techniques and by clonal analyses in the mouse embryo. Transcription factors of several families including homeodomain proteins have proven instrumental for regulating the axial progenitor niche in the growth zone. A complex genetic network linking these transcription factors and signaling molecules is being unraveled that underlies the phenomenon of tissue lengthening from the axial stem cells. The concomitant events of cell fate decision among descendants of these progenitors begin to be better understood at the levels of molecular genetics and cell behavior. CONCLUSIONS The emerging picture indicates that the ontogenesis of the successive body regions is regulated according to different rules. In addition, parameters controlling vertebrate axial length during evolution have emerged from comparative experimental studies. It is on these issues that this review will focus, mainly addressing the study of axial extension in the mouse embryo with some comparison with studies in chick and zebrafish, aiming at unveiling the recent progress, and pointing at still unanswered questions for a thorough understanding of the process of embryonic axis elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Neijts
- Hubrecht Institute and University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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