Dachsous1b cadherin regulates actin and microtubule cytoskeleton during early zebrafish embryogenesis

Dynamic interplay of microtubule and actomyosin forces drive tissue extension

In order to shape a tissue, individual cell-based mechanical forces have to be integrated into a global force pattern. Over the last decades, the importance of actomyosin contractile arrays, which are the key constituents of various morphogenetic processes, has been established for many tissues. Recent studies have demonstrated that the microtubule cytoskeleton mediates folding and elongation of the epithelial sheet during Drosophila morphogenesis, placing microtubule mechanics on par with actin-based processes. While these studies establish the importance of both cytoskeletal systems during cell and tissue rearrangements, a mechanistic understanding of their functional hierarchy is currently missing. Here, we dissect the individual roles of these two key generators of mechanical forces during epithelium elongation in the developing Drosophila wing. We show that wing extension, which entails columnar-to-cuboidal cell shape remodeling in a cell-autonomous manner, is driven by anisotropic cell expansion caused by the remodeling of the microtubule cytoskeleton from apico-basal to planarly polarized. Importantly, cell and tissue elongation is not associated with Myosin activity. Instead, Myosin II exhibits a homeostatic role, as actomyosin contraction balances polarized microtubule-based forces to determine the final cell shape. Using a reductionist model, we confirm that pairing microtubule and actomyosin-based forces is sufficient to recapitulate cell elongation and the final cell shape. These results support a hierarchical mechanism whereby microtubule-based forces in some epithelial systems prime actomyosin-generated forces.

Genome-wide identification and spatiotemporal expression analysis of cadherin superfamily members in echinoderms

BACKGROUND

Cadherins are calcium-dependent transmembrane cell-cell adhesion proteins that are essential for metazoan development. They consist of three subfamilies: classical cadherins, which bind catenin, protocadherins, which contain 6-7 calcium-binding repeat domains, and atypical cadherins. Their functions include forming adherens junctions, establishing planar cell polarity (PCP), and regulating cell shape, proliferation, and migration. Because they are basal deuterostomes, echinoderms provide important insights into bilaterian evolution, but their only well-characterized cadherin is G-cadherin, a classical cadherin that is expressed by many embryonic epithelia. We aimed to better characterize echinoderm cadherins by conducting phylogenetic analyses and examining the spatiotemporal expression patterns of cadherin-encoding genes during Strongylocentrotus purpuratus development.

RESULTS

Our phylogenetic analyses conducted on two echinoid, three asteroid, and one crinoid species identified ten echinoderm cadherins, including one deuterostome-specific ortholog, cadherin-23, and an echinoderm-specific atypical cadherin that possibly arose in an echinoid-asteroid ancestor. Catenin-binding domains in dachsous-2 orthologs were found to be a deuterostome-specific innovation that was selectively lost in mouse, while those in Fat4 orthologs appeared to be Ambulacraria-specific and were selectively lost in non-crinoid echinoderms. The identified suite of echinoderm cadherins lacks vertebrate-specific innovations but contains two proteins that are present in protostomes and absent from mouse. The spatiotemporal expression patterns of four embryonically expressed cadherins (fat atypical cadherins 1 and 4, dachsous-2, and protocadherin-9) were dynamic and mirrored the expression pattern of Frizzled 5/8, a non-canonical Wnt PCP pathway receptor protein essential for archenteron morphogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The echinoderm cadherin toolkit is more similar to that of an ancient bilaterian predating protostomes and deuterostomes than it is to the suite of cadherins found in extant vertebrates. However, it also appears that deuterostomes underwent several cadherin-related innovations. Based on their similar spatiotemporal expression patterns and orthologous relationships to PCP-related and tumor-suppressing proteins, we hypothesize that sea urchin cadherins may play a role in regulating the shape and growth of embryonic epithelia and organs. Future experiments will examine cadherin expression in non-echinoid echinoderms and explore the functions of cadherins during echinoderm development.

Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling controls morphogenetic movements of gastrulation and neural tube closure

Gastrulation and neurulation are successive morphogenetic processes that play key roles in shaping the basic embryonic body plan. Importantly, they operate through common cellular and molecular mechanisms to set up the three spatially organized germ layers and to close the neural tube. During gastrulation and neurulation, convergent extension movements driven by cell intercalation and oriented cell division generate major forces to narrow the germ layers along the mediolateral axis and elongate the embryo in the anteroposterior direction. Apical constriction also makes an important contribution to promote the formation of the blastopore and the bending of the neural plate. Planar cell polarity proteins are major regulators of asymmetric cell behaviors and critically involved in a wide variety of developmental processes, from gastrulation and neurulation to organogenesis. Mutations of planar cell polarity genes can lead to general defects in the morphogenesis of different organs and the co-existence of distinct congenital diseases, such as spina bifida, hearing deficits, kidney diseases, and limb elongation defects. This review outlines our current understanding of non-canonical Wnt signaling, commonly known as Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling, in regulating morphogenetic movements of gastrulation and neural tube closure during development and disease. It also attempts to identify unanswered questions that deserve further investigations.

Multiple asters organize the yolk microtubule network during dclk2-GFP zebrafish epiboly

It is known that the organization of microtubule (MT) networks in cells is orchestrated by subcellular structures named MT organizing centers (MTOCs). In this work, we use Light Sheet Fluorescence and Confocal Microscopy to investigate how the MT network surrounding the spherical yolk is arranged in the dclk2-GFP zebrafish transgenic line. We found that during epiboly the MT network is organized by multiple aster-like MTOCS. These structures form rings around the yolk sphere. Importantly, in wt embryos, aster-like MTOCs are only found upon pharmacological or genetic induction. Using our microscopy approach, we underscore the variability in the number of such asters in the transgenic line and report on the variety of global configurations of the yolk MT network. The asters’ morphology, dynamics, and their distribution in the yolk sphere are also analyzed. We propose that these features are tightly linked to epiboly timing and geometry. Key molecules are identified which support this asters role as MTOCs, where MT nucleation and growth take place. We conclude that the yolk MT network of dclk2-GFP transgenic embryos can be used as a model to organize microtubules in a spherical geometry by means of multiple MTOCs.

DCHS1, Lix1L, and the Septin Cytoskeleton: Molecular and Developmental Etiology of Mitral Valve Prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common cardiac valve disease that often progresses to serious secondary complications requiring surgery. MVP manifests as extracellular matrix disorganization and biomechanically incompetent tissues in the adult setting. However, MVP has recently been shown to have a developmental basis, as multiple causal genes expressed during embryonic development have been identified. Disease phenotypes have been observed in mouse models with human MVP mutations as early as birth. This study focuses on the developmental function of DCHS1, one of the first genes to be shown as causal in multiple families with non-syndromic MVP. By using various biochemical techniques as well as mouse and cell culture models, we demonstrate a unique link between DCHS1-based cell adhesions and the septin-actin cytoskeleton through interactions with cytoplasmic protein Lix1-Like (LIX1L). This DCHS1-LIX1L-SEPT9 axis interacts with and promotes filamentous actin organization to direct cell-ECM alignment and valve tissue shape.

Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy for the in vivo study of microtubule dynamics in the zebrafish embryo

During its first hours of development, the zebrafish embryo presents a large microtubule array in the yolk region, essential for its development. Despite of its size and dynamic behavior, this network has been studied only in limited field of views or in fixed samples. We designed and implemented different strategies in Light Sheet Fluorescence microscopy for imaging the entire yolk microtubule (MT) network in vivo. These have allowed us to develop a novel image analysis from which we clearly observe a cyclical re-arrangement of the entire MT network in synchrony with blastoderm mitotic waves. These dynamics also affect a previously unreported microtubule array deep within the yolk, here described. These findings provide a new vision of the zebrafish yolk microtubules arrangement, and offers novel insights in the interaction between mitotic events and microtubules reorganization.

Knockin' on Egg's Door: Maternal Control of Egg Activation That Influences Cortical Granule Exocytosis in Animal Species

Fertilization by multiple sperm leads to lethal chromosomal number abnormalities, failed embryo development, and miscarriage. In some vertebrate and invertebrate eggs, the so-called cortical reaction contributes to their activation and prevents polyspermy during fertilization. This process involves biogenesis, redistribution, and subsequent accumulation of cortical granules (CGs) at the female gamete cortex during oogenesis. CGs are oocyte- and egg-specific secretory vesicles whose content is discharged during fertilization to block polyspermy. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms controlling critical aspects of CG biology prior to and after the gametes interaction. This allows to block polyspermy and provide protection to the developing embryo. We also examine how CGs form and are spatially redistributed during oogenesis. During egg activation, CG exocytosis (CGE) and content release are triggered by increases in intracellular calcium and relies on the function of maternally-loaded proteins. We also discuss how mutations in these factors impact CG dynamics, providing unprecedented models to investigate the genetic program executing fertilization. We further explore the phylogenetic distribution of maternal proteins and signaling pathways contributing to CGE and egg activation. We conclude that many important biological questions and genotype–phenotype relationships during fertilization remain unresolved, and therefore, novel molecular players of CG biology need to be discovered. Future functional and image-based studies are expected to elucidate the identity of genetic candidates and components of the molecular machinery involved in the egg activation. This, will open new therapeutic avenues for treating infertility in humans.

How do the Fat-Dachsous and core planar polarity pathways act together and independently to coordinate polarized cell behaviours?

Planar polarity describes the coordinated polarization of cells within the plane of a tissue. This is controlled by two main pathways in Drosophila: the Frizzled-dependent core planar polarity pathway and the Fat–Dachsous pathway. Components of both of these pathways become asymmetrically localized within cells in response to long-range upstream cues, and form intercellular complexes that link polarity between neighbouring cells. This review examines if and when the two pathways are coupled, focusing on the Drosophila wing, eye and abdomen. There is strong evidence that the pathways are molecularly coupled in tissues that express a specific isoform of the core protein Prickle, namely Spiny-legs. However, in other contexts, the linkages between the pathways are indirect. We discuss how the two pathways act together and independently to mediate a diverse range of effects on polarization of cell structures and behaviours.

Decoding the role of long noncoding RNAs in the healthy aging of centenarians

Aging is the largest risk factor of major human diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as the key regulatory elements have shown a strong impact on multiple biological processes as well as human disease mechanisms. However, the roles of lncRNAs in aging/healthy aging processes remain largely unknown. Centenarians are good models for healthy aging studies due to avoiding major chronic diseases and disabilities. To illustrate their ubiquitous nature in the genome and the 'secrets' of healthy aging regulation from the perspective of lncRNAs, peripheral blood samples from two regions consisting 76 centenarians (CENs), 54 centenarian-children (F1) and 41 spouses of centenarian-children (F1SP) were collected for deep RNA-seq. We identified 11 CEN-specific lncRNAs that is particularly expressed in longevous individuals. By kmers clustering, hundreds of human lncRNAs show similarities with CEN-specific lncRNAs, especially with ENST00000521663 and ENST00000444998. Using F1SP as normal elder controls (age: 59.9 ± 6.6 years), eight lncRNAs that are differentially expressed in longevous elders (CEN group, age: 102.2 ± 2.4 years) were identified as candidate aging/health aging-related lncRNAs (car-lncs). We found that the expression of eight car-lncs in human diploid fibroblasts displayed dynamic changes during cell passage and/or H2O2/rapamycin treatment; of which, overexpression either of THBS1-IT1 and THBS1-AS1, two lncRNAs that highly expressed in CENs, can remarkably decrease p16, p21 and the activity of senescent related β-galactosidase, suggesting that THBS1-IT1 and THBS1-AS1 can inhibit cellular senescence. We provided the first comprehensive analysis of lncRNA expression in longevous populations, and our results hinted that dysregulated lncRNAs in CENs are potential protective factors in healthy aging process.

The maternal coordinate system: Molecular-genetics of embryonic axis formation and patterning in the zebrafish

Axis specification of the zebrafish embryo begins during oogenesis and relies on proper formation of well-defined cytoplasmic domains within the oocyte. Upon fertilization, maternally-regulated cytoplasmic flow and repositioning of dorsal determinants establish the coordinate system that will build the structure and developmental body plan of the embryo. Failure of specific genes that regulate the embryonic coordinate system leads to catastrophic loss of body structures. Here, we review the genetic principles of axis formation and discuss how maternal factors orchestrate axis patterning during zebrafish early embryogenesis. We focus on the molecular identity and functional contribution of genes controlling critical aspects of oogenesis, egg activation, blastula, and gastrula stages. We examine how polarized cytoplasmic domains form in the oocyte, which set off downstream events such as animal-vegetal polarity and germ line development. After gametes interact and form the zygote, cytoplasmic segregation drives the animal-directed reorganization of maternal determinants through calcium- and cell cycle-dependent signals. We also summarize how maternal genes control dorsoventral, anterior-posterior, mesendodermal, and left-right cell fate specification and how signaling pathways pattern these axes and tissues during early development to instruct the three-dimensional body plan. Advances in reverse genetics and phenotyping approaches in the zebrafish model are revealing positional patterning signatures at the single-cell level, thus enhancing our understanding of genotype-phenotype interactions in axis formation. Our emphasis is on the genetic interrogation of novel and specific maternal regulatory mechanisms of axis specification in the zebrafish.

Maternal contributions to gastrulation in zebrafish

Gastrulation is a critical early morphogenetic process of animal development, during which the three germ layers; mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm, are rearranged by internalization movements. Concurrent epiboly movements spread and thin the germ layers while convergence and extension movements shape them into an anteroposteriorly elongated body with head, trunk, tail and organ rudiments. In zebrafish, gastrulation follows the proliferative and inductive events that establish the embryonic and extraembryonic tissues and the embryonic axis. Specification of these tissues and embryonic axes are controlled by the maternal gene products deposited in the egg. These early maternally controlled processes need to generate sufficient cell numbers and establish the embryonic polarity to ensure normal gastrulation. Subsequently, after activation of the zygotic genome, the zygotic gene products govern mesoderm and endoderm induction and germ layer patterning. Gastrulation is initiated during the maternal-to-zygotic transition, a process that entails both activation of the zygotic genome and downregulation of the maternal transcripts. Genomic studies indicate that gastrulation is largely controlled by the zygotic genome. Nonetheless, genetic studies that investigate the relative contributions of maternal and zygotic gene function by comparing zygotic, maternal and maternal zygotic mutant phenotypes, reveal significant contribution of maternal gene products, transcripts and/or proteins, that persist through gastrulation, to the control of gastrulation movements. Therefore, in zebrafish, the maternally expressed gene products not only set the stage for, but they also actively participate in gastrulation morphogenesis.

Mechanisms of zebrafish epiboly: A current view

Epiboly is a conserved gastrulation movement describing the thinning and spreading of a sheet or multi-layer of cells. The zebrafish embryo has emerged as a vital model system to address the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive epiboly. In the zebrafish embryo, the blastoderm, consisting of a simple squamous epithelium (the enveloping layer) and an underlying mass of deep cells, as well as a yolk nuclear syncytium (the yolk syncytial layer) undergo epiboly to internalize the yolk cell during gastrulation. The major events during zebrafish epiboly are: expansion of the enveloping layer and the internal yolk syncytial layer, reduction and removal of the yolk membrane ahead of the advancing blastoderm margin and deep cell rearrangements between the enveloping layer and yolk syncytial layer to thin the blastoderm. Here, work addressing the cellular and molecular mechanisms as well as the sources of the mechanical forces that underlie these events is reviewed. The contribution of recent findings to the current model of epiboly as well as open questions and future prospects are also discussed.

Maternal Ybx1 safeguards zebrafish oocyte maturation and maternal-to-zygotic transition by repressing global translation

Maternal mRNAs and proteins dictate early embryonic development before zygotic genome activation. In the absence of transcription, elaborate control of maternal mRNA translation is of particular importance for oocyte maturation and early embryogenesis. By analyzing zebrafish ybx1 mutants with a null allele, we demonstrate an essential role of maternal ybx1 in repressing global translation in oocytes and embryos. Loss of maternal Ybx1 leads to impaired oocyte maturation and egg activation. Maternal ybx1 (Mybx1) mutant embryos fail to undergo normal cleavage and the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). Morpholino knockdown of ybx1 also results in MZT loss and epiboly failure, suggesting the postfertilization requirement of Ybx1. In addition, elevated global translation level and the unfolded protein response were found in Ybx1-depleted embryos. Supplementing translational repression by eIF4E inhibition markedly rescues the Mybx1 phenotype. Mechanistically, Ybx1 in embryos may associate with processing body components and repress translation when tethered to target mRNAs. Collectively, our results identify maternal Ybx1 as a global translational repressor required for oocyte maturation and early embryogenesis.

Modulation of F-actin dynamics by maternal Mid1ip1L controls germ plasm aggregation and furrow recruitment in the zebrafish embryo

During the early embryonic cell cycles, zebrafish germ plasm ribonucleoparticles (RNPs) gradually multimerize and become recruited to the forming furrows. RNPs multimerization occurs prior to and during furrow initiation, as forming aggregates move outward through their association with the tips of growing interphase astral microtubules. Germ plasm RNPs are also associated with short cortical F-actin. We show that, in embryos mutant for the cytoskeletal regulator mid1ip1l, germ plasm RNPs fail to become recruited to the furrow, accumulating instead at the periphery of the blastodisc. RNP aggregates are associated with zones of mid1ip1l-dependent cyclical local cortical F-actin network enrichments, as well as contractions at both the cortex and the contractile ring. F-actin inhibition in wild-type embryos mimics the RNP peripheral accumulation defect of mid1ip1l mutants. Our studies suggest that a common mechanism underlies distinct steps of germ plasm RNP segregation. At the cortex, this process attenuates microtubule-dependent outward RNP movement to retain RNPs in the blastodisc cortex and allow their recruitment to the furrows. F-actin network contraction likely also facilitates higher-order germ plasm RNP multimerization.

Atypical Cadherin Dachsous1b Interacts with Ttc28 and Aurora B to Control Microtubule Dynamics in Embryonic Cleavages

Atypical cadherin Dachsous (Dchs) is a conserved regulator of planar cell polarity, morphogenesis, and tissue growth during animal development. Dchs functions in part by regulating microtubules by unknown molecular mechanisms. Here we show that maternal zygotic (MZ) dchs1b zebrafish mutants exhibit cleavage furrow progression defects and impaired midzone microtubule assembly associated with decreased microtubule turnover. Mechanistically, Dchs1b interacts via a conserved motif in its intracellular domain with the tetratricopeptide motifs of Ttc28 and regulates its subcellular distribution. Excess Ttc28 impairs cleavages and decreases microtubule turnover, while ttc28 inactivation increases turnover. Moreover, ttc28 deficiency in dchs1b mutants suppresses the microtubule dynamics and midzone microtubule assembly defects. Dchs1b also binds to Aurora B, a known regulator of cleavages and microtubules. Embryonic cleavages in MZdchs1b mutants exhibit increased, and in MZttc28 mutants decreased, sensitivity to Aurora B inhibition. Thus, Dchs1b regulates microtubule dynamics and embryonic cleavages by interacting with Ttc28 and Aurora B.

Split top: a maternal cathepsin B that regulates dorsoventral patterning and morphogenesis

The vertebrate embryonic dorsoventral axis is established and patterned by Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathways, respectively. Whereas Wnt signaling establishes the dorsal side of the embryo and induces the dorsal organizer, a BMP signaling gradient patterns tissues along the dorsoventral axis. Early Wnt signaling is provided maternally, whereas BMP ligand expression in the zebrafish is zygotic, but regulated by maternal factors. Concomitant with BMP activity patterning dorsoventral axial tissues, the embryo also undergoes dramatic morphogenetic processes, including the cell movements of gastrulation, epiboly and dorsal convergence. Although the zygotic regulation of these cell migration processes is increasingly understood, far less is known of the maternal regulators of these processes. Similarly, the maternal regulation of dorsoventral patterning, and in particular the maternal control of ventral tissue specification, is poorly understood. We identified split top, a recessive maternal-effect zebrafish mutant that disrupts embryonic patterning upstream of endogenous BMP signaling. Embryos from split top mutant females exhibit a dorsalized embryonic axis, which can be rescued by BMP misexpression or by derepressing endogenous BMP signaling. In addition to dorsoventral patterning defects, split top mutants display morphogenesis defects that are both BMP dependent and independent. These morphogenesis defects include incomplete dorsal convergence, delayed epiboly progression and an early lysis phenotype during gastrula stages. The latter two morphogenesis defects are associated with disruption of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton within the yolk cell and defects in the outer enveloping cell layer, which are both known mediators of epiboly movements. Through chromosomal mapping and RNA sequencing analysis, we identified the lysosomal endopeptidase cathepsin Ba (ctsba) as the gene deficient in split top embryos. Our results identify a novel role for Ctsba in morphogenesis and expand our understanding of the maternal regulation of dorsoventral patterning.

Transcriptional analysis of the dachsous gene uncovers novel isoforms expressed during development in Drosophila

The Drosophila cadherin-related protein Dachsous (Ds) plays a prominent role in planar cell polarity (PCP) and growth. The regulation of these two processes is based on the interaction between Ds and Fat proteins, generating an intracellular response required for tissue polarization and modulation of Hippo pathway activity. Here we have performed a comprehensive molecular study of the ds gene during larval development that has shown an unexpected complexity in its transcriptional regulation and revealed the expression of hitherto unsuspected transcripts. Also, knockdown of several isoforms provides new evidence on the importance of the cytoplasmic domain in the mechanism of action of Ds during development.