1
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Cervino AS, Collodel MG, Lopez IA, Roa C, Hochbaum D, Hukriede NA, Cirio MC. Xenopus Ssbp2 is required for embryonic pronephros morphogenesis and terminal differentiation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16671. [PMID: 37794075 PMCID: PMC10551014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43662-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The nephron, functional unit of the vertebrate kidney, is specialized in metabolic wastes excretion and body fluids osmoregulation. Given the high evolutionary conservation of gene expression and segmentation patterning between mammalian and amphibian nephrons, the Xenopus laevis pronephric kidney offers a simplified model for studying nephrogenesis. The Lhx1 transcription factor plays several roles during embryogenesis, regulating target genes expression by forming multiprotein complexes with LIM binding protein 1 (Ldb1). However, few Lhx1-Ldb1 cofactors have been identified for kidney organogenesis. By tandem- affinity purification from kidney-induced Xenopus animal caps, we identified single-stranded DNA binding protein 2 (Ssbp2) interacts with the Ldb1-Lhx1 complex. Ssbp2 is expressed in the Xenopus pronephros, and knockdown prevents normal morphogenesis and differentiation of the glomus and the convoluted renal tubules. We demonstrate a role for a member of the Ssbp family in kidney organogenesis and provide evidence of a fundamental function for the Ldb1-Lhx1-Ssbp transcriptional complexes in embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailen S Cervino
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Collodel
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ivan A Lopez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Roa
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniel Hochbaum
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo (CEBBAD), Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Neil A Hukriede
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - M Cecilia Cirio
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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2
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Carotenuto R, Pallotta MM, Tussellino M, Fogliano C. Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802) as a Model Organism for Bioscience: A Historic Review and Perspective. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:890. [PMID: 37372174 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
In vitro systems have been mainly promoted by authorities to sustain research by following the 3Rs principle, but continuously increasing amounts of evidence point out that in vivo experimentation is also of extreme relevance. Xenopus laevis, an anuran amphibian, is a significant model organism in the study of evolutionary developmental biology, toxicology, ethology, neurobiology, endocrinology, immunology and tumor biology; thanks to the recent development of genome editing, it has also acquired a relevant position in the field of genetics. For these reasons, X. laevis appears to be a powerful and alternative model to the zebrafish for environmental and biomedical studies. Its life cycle, as well as the possibility to obtain gametes from adults during the whole year and embryos by in vitro fertilization, allows experimental studies of several biological endpoints, such as gametogenesis, embryogenesis, larval growth, metamorphosis and, of course, the young and adult stages. Moreover, with respect to alternative invertebrate and even vertebrate animal models, the X. laevis genome displays a higher degree of similarity with that of mammals. Here, we have reviewed the main available literature on the use of X. laevis in the biosciences and, inspired by Feymann's revised view, "Plenty of room for biology at the bottom", suggest that X. laevis is a very useful model for all possible studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Carotenuto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Chiara Fogliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
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3
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Shiraki T, Hayashi T, Ozue J, Watanabe M. Appropriate Amounts and Activity of the Wilms' Tumor Suppressor Gene, wt1, Are Required for Normal Pronephros Development of Xenopus Embryos. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10040046. [PMID: 36412640 PMCID: PMC9680428 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10040046] [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: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wilms' tumor suppressor gene, wt1, encodes a zinc finger-containing transcription factor that binds to a GC-rich motif and regulates the transcription of target genes. wt1 was first identified as a tumor suppressor gene in Wilms' tumor, a pediatric kidney tumor, and has been implicated in normal kidney development. The WT1 protein has transcriptional activation and repression domains and acts as a transcriptional activator or repressor, depending on the target gene and context. In Xenopus, an ortholog of wt1 has been isolated and shown to be expressed in the developing embryonic pronephros. To investigate the role of wt1 in pronephros development in Xenopus embryos, we mutated wt1 by CRISPR/Cas9 and found that the expression of pronephros marker genes was reduced. In reporter assays in which known WT1 binding sequences were placed upstream of the luciferase gene, WT1 activated transcription of the luciferase gene. The injection of wild-type or artificially altered transcriptional activity of wt1 mRNA disrupted the expression of pronephros marker genes in the embryos. These results suggest that the appropriate amounts and activity of WT1 protein are required for normal pronephros development in Xenopus embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisei Shiraki
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Tokushima University, 1-1 Minamijosanjima-Cho, Tokushima 770-8054, Japan
| | - Takuma Hayashi
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Tokushima University, 1-1 Minamijosanjima-Cho, Tokushima 770-8054, Japan
| | - Jotaro Ozue
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Tokushima University, 1-1 Minamijosanjima-Cho, Tokushima 770-8054, Japan
| | - Minoru Watanabe
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Tokushima University, 1-1 Minamijosanjima-Cho, Tokushima 770-8054, Japan
- Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, 1-1 Minamijosanjima-Cho, Tokushima 770-8054, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-088-656-7253
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4
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Schmidt P, Leman E, Lagadec R, Schubert M, Mazan S, Reshef R. Evolutionary Transition in the Regulation of Vertebrate Pronephros Development: A New Role for Retinoic Acid. Cells 2022; 11:1304. [PMID: 35455988 PMCID: PMC9026449 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior-posterior (AP) axis in chordates is regulated by a conserved set of genes and signaling pathways, including Hox genes and retinoic acid (RA), which play well-characterized roles in the organization of the chordate body plan. The intermediate mesoderm (IM), which gives rise to all vertebrate kidneys, is an example of a tissue that differentiates sequentially along this axis. Yet, the conservation of the spatiotemporal regulation of the IM across vertebrates remains poorly understood. In this study, we used a comparative developmental approach focusing on non-conventional model organisms, a chondrichthyan (catshark), a cyclostome (lamprey), and a cephalochordate (amphioxus), to assess the involvement of RA in the regulation of chordate and vertebrate pronephros formation. We report that the anterior expression boundary of early pronephric markers (Pax2 and Lim1), positioned at the level of somite 6 in amniotes, is conserved in the catshark and the lamprey. Furthermore, RA, driving the expression of Hox4 genes like in amniotes, regulates the anterior pronephros boundary in the catshark. We find no evidence for the involvement of this regulatory hierarchy in the AP positioning of the lamprey pronephros and the amphioxus pronephros homolog, Hatschek's nephridium. This suggests that despite the conservation of Pax2 and Lim1 expressions in chordate pronephros homologs, the responsiveness of the IM, and hence of pronephric genes, to RA- and Hox-dependent regulation is a gnathostome novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (P.S.); (E.L.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France;
| | - Eva Leman
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (P.S.); (E.L.)
| | - Ronan Lagadec
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR7232-Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (R.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Michael Schubert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France;
| | - Sylvie Mazan
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR7232-Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (R.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Ram Reshef
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (P.S.); (E.L.)
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5
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Parihar M, Bendelac-Kapon L, Gur M, Abbou T, Belorkar A, Achanta S, Kinberg K, Vadigepalli R, Fainsod A. Retinoic Acid Fluctuation Activates an Uneven, Direction-Dependent Network-Wide Robustness Response in Early Embryogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:747969. [PMID: 34746144 PMCID: PMC8564372 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.747969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Robustness is a feature of regulatory pathways to ensure signal consistency in light of environmental changes or genetic polymorphisms. The retinoic acid (RA) pathway, is a central developmental and tissue homeostasis regulatory signal, strongly dependent on nutritional sources of retinoids and affected by environmental chemicals. This pathway is characterized by multiple proteins or enzymes capable of performing each step and their integration into a self-regulating network. We studied RA network robustness by transient physiological RA signaling disturbances followed by kinetic transcriptomic analysis of the recovery during embryogenesis. The RA metabolic network was identified as the main regulated module to achieve signaling robustness using an unbiased pattern analysis. We describe the network-wide responses to RA signal manipulation and found the feedback autoregulation to be sensitive to the direction of the RA perturbation: RA knockdown exhibited an upper response limit, whereas RA addition had a minimal feedback-activation threshold. Surprisingly, our robustness response analysis suggests that the RA metabolic network regulation exhibits a multi-objective optimization, known as Pareto optimization, characterized by trade-offs between competing functionalities. We observe that efficient robustness to increasing RA is accompanied by worsening robustness to reduced RA levels and vice versa. This direction-dependent trade-off in the network-wide feedback response, results in an uneven robustness capacity of the RA network during early embryogenesis, likely a significant contributor to the manifestation of developmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhur Parihar
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Liat Bendelac-Kapon
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Gur
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tali Abbou
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Abha Belorkar
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sirisha Achanta
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Keren Kinberg
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rajanikanth Vadigepalli
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Abraham Fainsod
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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6
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Abstract
The field of molecular embryology started around 1990 by identifying new genes and analyzing their functions in early vertebrate embryogenesis. Those genes encode transcription factors, signaling molecules, their regulators, etc. Most of those genes are relatively highly expressed in specific regions or exhibit dramatic phenotypes when ectopically expressed or mutated. This review focuses on one of those genes, Lim1/Lhx1, which encodes a transcription factor. Lim1/Lhx1 is a member of the LIM homeodomain (LIM-HD) protein family, and its intimate partner, Ldb1/NLI, binds to two tandem LIM domains of LIM-HDs. The most ancient LIM-HD protein and its partnership with Ldb1 were innovated in the metazoan ancestor by gene fusion combining LIM domains and a homeodomain and by creating the LIM domain-interacting domain (LID) in ancestral Ldb, respectively. The LIM domain has multiple interacting interphases, and Ldb1 has a dimerization domain (DD), the LID, and other interacting domains that bind to Ssbp2/3/4 and the boundary factor, CTCF. By means of these domains, LIM-HD-Ldb1 functions as a hub protein complex, enabling more intricate and elaborate gene regulation. The common, ancestral role of LIM-HD proteins is neuron cell-type specification. Additionally, Lim1/Lhx1 serves crucial roles in the gastrula organizer and in kidney development. Recent studies using Xenopus embryos have revealed Lim1/Lhx1 functions and regulatory mechanisms during development and regeneration, providing insight into evolutionary developmental biology, functional genomics, gene regulatory networks, and regenerative medicine. In this review, we also discuss recent progress at unraveling participation of Ldb1, Ssbp, and CTCF in enhanceosomes, long-distance enhancer-promoter interactions, and trans-interactions between chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuri Yasuoka
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan.
| | - Masanori Taira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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McMahon R, Sibbritt T, Salehin N, Osteil P, Tam PPL. Mechanistic insights from the LHX1-driven molecular network in building the embryonic head. Dev Growth Differ 2019; 61:327-336. [PMID: 31111476 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Development of an embryo is driven by a series of molecular instructions that control the differentiation of tissue precursor cells and shape the tissues into major body parts. LIM homeobox 1 (LHX1) is a transcription factor that plays a major role in the development of the embryonic head of the mouse. Loss of LHX1 function disrupts the morphogenetic movement of head tissue precursors and impacts on the function of molecular factors in modulating the activity of the WNT signaling pathway. LHX1 acts with a transcription factor complex to regulate the transcription of target genes in multiple phases of development and in a range of embryonic tissues of the mouse and Xenopus. Determining the interacting factors and transcriptional targets of LHX1 will be key to unraveling the ensemble of factors involved in head development and building a head gene regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley McMahon
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tennille Sibbritt
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nazmus Salehin
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pierre Osteil
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick P L Tam
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
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8
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Suzuki N, Hirano K, Ogino H, Ochi H. Arid3a regulates nephric tubule regeneration via evolutionarily conserved regeneration signal-response enhancers. eLife 2019; 8:43186. [PMID: 30616715 PMCID: PMC6324879 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians and fish have the ability to regenerate numerous tissues, whereas mammals have a limited regenerative capacity. Despite numerous developmental genes becoming reactivated during regeneration, an extensive analysis is yet to be performed on whether highly regenerative animals utilize unique cis-regulatory elements for the reactivation of genes during regeneration and how such cis-regulatory elements become activated. Here, we screened regeneration signal-response enhancers at the lhx1 locus using Xenopus and found that the noncoding elements conserved from fish to human function as enhancers in the regenerating nephric tubules. A DNA-binding motif of Arid3a, a component of H3K9me3 demethylases, was commonly found in RSREs. Arid3a binds to RSREs and reduces the H3K9me3 levels. It promotes cell cycle progression and causes the outgrowth of nephric tubules, whereas the conditional knockdown of arid3a using photo-morpholino inhibits regeneration. These results suggest that Arid3a contributes to the regeneration of nephric tubules by decreasing H3K9me3 on RSREs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanoka Suzuki
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Yamagata University, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Kodai Hirano
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Yamagata University, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Hajime Ogino
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima, Japan
| | - Haruki Ochi
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Yamagata University, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
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9
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Del Pino EM. Embryogenesis of Marsupial Frogs (Hemiphractidae), and the Changes that Accompany Terrestrial Development in Frogs. Results Probl Cell Differ 2019; 68:379-418. [PMID: 31598865 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23459-1_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The developmental adaptations of the marsupial frogs Gastrotheca riobambae and Flectonotus pygmaeus (Hemiphractidae) are described and compared with frogs belonging to seven additional families. Incubation of embryos by the mother in marsupial frogs is associated with changes in the anatomy and physiology of the female, modifications of oogenesis, and extraordinary changes in embryonic development. The comparison of early development reveals that gene expression is highly conserved. However, the timing of gene expression varies between frog species. There are two modes of gastrulation according to the onset of convergent extension. In gastrulation mode 1, convergent extension is an intrinsic mechanism of gastrulation. This gastrulation mode occurs in frogs with aquatic reproduction, such as Xenopus laevis. In gastrulation mode 2, convergent extension occurs after the completion of gastrulation movements. Gastrulation mode 2 occurs in frogs with terrestrial reproduction, such as the marsupial frog, G. riobambae. The two modes of frog gastrulation resemble the two transitions toward meroblastic cleavage of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). The comparison indicates that a major event in the evolution of frog terrestrial development is the separation of convergent extension from gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia M Del Pino
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
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10
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Yasuoka Y, Tando Y, Kubokawa K, Taira M. Evolution of cis-regulatory modules for the head organizer gene goosecoid in chordates: comparisons between Branchiostoma and Xenopus. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2019; 5:27. [PMID: 31388442 PMCID: PMC6679436 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-019-0143-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In cephalochordates (amphioxus), the notochord runs along the dorsal to the anterior tip of the body. In contrast, the vertebrate head is formed anterior to the notochord, as a result of head organizer formation in anterior mesoderm during early development. A key gene for the vertebrate head organizer, goosecoid (gsc), is broadly expressed in the dorsal mesoderm of amphioxus gastrula. Amphioxus gsc expression subsequently becomes restricted to the posterior notochord from the early neurula. This has prompted the hypothesis that a change in expression patterns of gsc led to development of the vertebrate head during chordate evolution. However, molecular mechanisms of head organizer evolution involving gsc have never been elucidated. RESULTS To address this question, we compared cis-regulatory modules of vertebrate organizer genes between amphioxus, Branchiostoma japonicum, and frogs, Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. Here we show conservation and diversification of gene regulatory mechanisms through cis-regulatory modules for gsc, lim1/lhx1, and chordin in Branchiostoma and Xenopus. Reporter analysis using Xenopus embryos demonstrates that activation of gsc by Nodal/FoxH1 signal through the 5' upstream region, that of lim1 by Nodal/FoxH1 signal through the first intron, and that of chordin by Lim1 through the second intron, are conserved between amphioxus and Xenopus. However, activation of gsc by Lim1 and Otx through the 5' upstream region in Xenopus are not conserved in amphioxus. Furthermore, the 5' region of amphioxus gsc recapitulated the amphioxus-like posterior mesoderm expression of the reporter gene in transgenic Xenopus embryos. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of this study, we propose a model, in which the gsc gene acquired the cis-regulatory module bound with Lim1 and Otx at its 5' upstream region to be activated persistently in anterior mesoderm, in the vertebrate lineage. Because Gsc globally represses trunk (notochord) genes in the vertebrate head organizer, this cooption of gsc in vertebrates appears to have resulted in inhibition of trunk genes and acquisition of the head organizer and its derivative prechordal plate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuri Yasuoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045 Japan
| | - Yukiko Tando
- Center for Advance Marine Research, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 1-15-1, Minamidai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164-8639 Japan
- Present address: Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575 Japan
| | - Kaoru Kubokawa
- Center for Advance Marine Research, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 1-15-1, Minamidai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164-8639 Japan
- Present address: SIRC, Teikyo University, 2-11-1, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605 Japan
| | - Masanori Taira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8551 Japan
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11
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Gere-Becker MB, Pommerenke C, Lingner T, Pieler T. Retinoic acid-induced expression of Hnf1b and Fzd4 is required for pancreas development in Xenopus laevis. Development 2018; 145:dev.161372. [PMID: 29769220 PMCID: PMC6031401 DOI: 10.1242/dev.161372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is required for pancreas specification in Xenopus and other vertebrates. However, the gene network that is directly induced by RA signalling in this context remains to be defined. By RNA sequencing of in vitro-generated pancreatic explants, we identified the genes encoding the transcription factor Hnf1β and the Wnt-receptor Fzd4/Fzd4s as direct RA target genes. Functional analyses of Hnf1b and Fzd4/Fzd4s in programmed pancreatic explants and whole embryos revealed their requirement for pancreatic progenitor formation and differentiation. Thus, Hnf1β and Fzd4/Fzd4s appear to be involved in pre-patterning events of the embryonic endoderm that allow pancreas formation in Xenopus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja B Gere-Becker
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Pommerenke
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.,Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstrasse 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Lingner
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.,Genevention GmbH, Rudolf-Wissel-Str. 28, 37079 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Tomas Pieler
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
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12
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DeLay BD, Corkins ME, Hanania HL, Salanga M, Deng JM, Sudou N, Taira M, Horb ME, Miller RK. Tissue-Specific Gene Inactivation in Xenopus laevis: Knockout of lhx1 in the Kidney with CRISPR/Cas9. Genetics 2018; 208:673-686. [PMID: 29187504 PMCID: PMC5788530 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying genes involved in organogenesis is often difficult because many of these genes are also essential for early development. The allotetraploid frog, Xenopus laevis, is commonly used to study developmental processes, but because of the presence of two homeologs for many genes, it has been difficult to use as a genetic model. Few studies have successfully used CRISPR in amphibians, and currently there is no tissue-targeted knockout strategy described in Xenopus The goal of this study is to determine whether CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout can be targeted to the Xenopus kidney without perturbing essential early gene function. We demonstrate that targeting CRISPR gene editing to the kidney and the eye of F0 embryos is feasible. Our study shows that knockout of both homeologs of lhx1 results in the disruption of kidney development and function but does not lead to early developmental defects. Therefore, targeting of CRISPR to the kidney may not be necessary to bypass the early developmental defects reported upon disruption of Lhx1 protein expression or function by morpholinos, antisense RNA, or dominant negative constructs. We also establish a control for CRISPR in Xenopus by editing a gene (slc45a2) that when knocked out results in albinism without altering kidney development. This study establishes the feasibility of tissue-specific gene knockout in Xenopus, providing a cost-effective and efficient method for assessing the roles of genes implicated in developmental abnormalities that is amenable to high-throughput gene or drug screening techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget D DeLay
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Mark E Corkins
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Hannah L Hanania
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030
- Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251
| | - Matthew Salanga
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
| | - Jian Min Deng
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Norihiro Sudou
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 162-8666, Japan
| | - Masanori Taira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 113-8654, Japan
| | - Marko E Horb
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
| | - Rachel K Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas 77030
- Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas 77030
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Zhu J, Hu L, Li L, Huang X, Shi H. Comparison of phenotypic and global gene expression changes in Xenopus tropicalis embryos induced by agonists of RAR and RXR. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2017; 330:40-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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14
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Krneta-Stankic V, DeLay BD, Miller RK. Xenopus: leaping forward in kidney organogenesis. Pediatr Nephrol 2017; 32:547-555. [PMID: 27099217 PMCID: PMC5074909 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-016-3372-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
While kidney donations stagnate, the number of people in need of kidney transplants continues to grow. Although transplanting culture-grown organs is years away, pursuing the engineering of the kidney de novo is a valid means of closing the gap between the supply and demand of kidneys for transplantation. The structural organization of a mouse kidney is similar to that of humans. Therefore, mice have traditionally served as the primary model system for the study of kidney development. The mouse is an ideal model organism for understanding the complexity of the human kidney. Nonetheless, the elaborate structure of the mammalian kidney makes the discovery of new therapies based on de novo engineered kidneys more challenging. In contrast to mammals, amphibians have a kidney that is anatomically less complex and develops faster. Given that analogous genetic networks regulate the development of mammalian and amphibian nephric organs, using embryonic kidneys of Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) to analyze inductive cell signaling events and morphogenesis has many advantages. Pioneering work that led to the ability to generate kidney organoids from embryonic cells was carried out in Xenopus. In this review, we discuss how Xenopus can be utilized to compliment the work performed in mammalian systems to understand kidney development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Krneta-Stankic
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin Street, MSE R413, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Program in Genes and Development, University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bridget D DeLay
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin Street, MSE R413, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Rachel K Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research Center, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin Street, MSE R413, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Program in Genes and Development, University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
- Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology, University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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15
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Abstract
The Xenopus genus includes several members of aquatic frogs native to Africa but is perhaps best known for the species Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. These species were popularized as model organisms from as early as the 1800s and have been instrumental in expanding several biological fields including cell biology, environmental toxicology, regenerative biology, and developmental biology. In fact, much of what we know about the formation and maturation of the vertebrate renal system has been acquired by examining the intricate genetic and morphological patterns that epitomize nephrogenesis in Xenopus. From these numerous reports, we have learned that the process of kidney development is as unique among organs as it is conserved among vertebrates. While development of most organs involves increases in size at a single location, development of the kidney occurs through a series of three increasingly complex nephric structures that are temporally distinct from one another and which occupy discrete spatial locales within the body. These three renal systems all serve to provide homeostatic, osmoregulatory, and excretory functions in animals. Importantly, the kidneys in amphibians, such as Xenopus, are less complex and more easily accessed than those in mammals, and thus tadpoles and frogs provide useful models for understanding our own kidney development. Several descriptive and mechanistic studies conducted with the Xenopus model system have allowed us to elucidate the cellular and molecular mediators of renal patterning and have also laid the foundation for our current understanding of kidney repair mechanisms in vertebrates. While some species-specific responses to renal injury have been observed, we still recognize the advantage of the Xenopus system due to its distinctive similarity to mammalian wound healing, reparative, and regenerative responses. In addition, the first evidence of renal regeneration in an amphibian system was recently demonstrated in Xenopus laevis. As genetic and molecular tools continue to advance, our appreciation for and utilization of this amphibian model organism can only intensify and will certainly provide ample opportunities to further our understanding of renal development and repair.
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16
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Zhang L, Li K, Yan X, Liang X, Wang S, Han Q, Zhao RC. MicroRNA-498 Inhibition Enhances the Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Podocyte-Like Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2015; 24:2841-52. [DOI: 10.1089/scd.2015.0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Zhang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kanghua Li
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Yan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolei Liang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shihua Wang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Han
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Robert Chunhua Zhao
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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17
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Carron C, Shi DL. Specification of anteroposterior axis by combinatorial signaling during Xenopus development. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 5:150-68. [PMID: 26544673 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The specification of anteroposterior (AP) axis is a fundamental and complex patterning process that sets up the embryonic polarity and shapes a multicellular organism. This process involves the integration of distinct signaling pathways to coordinate temporal-spatial gene expression and morphogenetic movements. In the frog Xenopus, extensive embryological and molecular studies have provided major advance in understanding the mechanism implicated in AP patterning. Following fertilization, cortical rotation leads to the transport of maternal determinants to the dorsal region and creates the primary dorsoventral (DV) asymmetry. The activation of maternal Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and a high Nodal signal induces the formation of the Nieuwkoop center in the dorsal-vegetal cells, which then triggers the formation of the Spemann organizer in the overlying dorsal marginal zone. It is now well established that the Spemann organizer plays a central role in building the vertebrate body axes because it provides patterning information for both DV and AP polarities. The antagonistic interactions between signals secreted in the Spemann organizer and the opposite ventral region pattern the mesoderm along the DV axis, and this DV information is translated into AP positional values during gastrulation. The formation of anterior neural tissue requires simultaneous inhibition of zygotic Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signals, while an endogenous gradient of Wnt, fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), retinoic acid (RA) signaling, and collinearly expressed Hox genes patterns the trunk and posterior regions. Collectively, DV asymmetry is mostly coupled to AP polarity, and cell-cell interactions mediated essentially by the same regulatory networks operate in DV and AP patterning. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Carron
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France
| | - De-Li Shi
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France.,School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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18
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Occupancy of tissue-specific cis-regulatory modules by Otx2 and TLE/Groucho for embryonic head specification. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4322. [PMID: 25005894 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Head specification by the head-selector gene, orthodenticle (otx), is highly conserved among bilaterian lineages. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Otx and other transcription factors (TFs) interact with the genome to direct head formation are largely unknown. Here we employ ChIP-seq and RNA-seq approaches in Xenopus tropicalis gastrulae and find that occupancy of the corepressor, TLE/Groucho, is a better indicator of tissue-specific cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) than the coactivator p300, during early embryonic stages. On the basis of TLE binding and comprehensive CRM profiling, we define two distinct types of Otx2- and TLE-occupied CRMs. Using these devices, Otx2 and other head organizer TFs (for example, Lim1/Lhx1 (activator) or Goosecoid (repressor)) are able to upregulate or downregulate a large battery of target genes in the head organizer. An underlying principle is that Otx marks target genes for head specification to be regulated positively or negatively by partner TFs through specific types of CRMs.
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19
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Cirio MC, de Groh ED, de Caestecker MP, Davidson AJ, Hukriede NA. Kidney regeneration: common themes from the embryo to the adult. Pediatr Nephrol 2014; 29:553-64. [PMID: 24005792 PMCID: PMC3944192 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-013-2597-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate kidney has an inherent ability to regenerate following acute damage. Successful regeneration of the injured kidney requires the rapid replacement of damaged tubular epithelial cells and reconstitution of normal tubular function. Identifying the cells that participate in the regeneration process as well as the molecular mechanisms involved may reveal therapeutic targets for the treatment of kidney disease. Renal regeneration is associated with the expression of genetic pathways that are necessary for kidney organogenesis, suggesting that the regenerating tubular epithelium may be "reprogrammed" to a less-differentiated, progenitor state. This review will highlight data from various vertebrate models supporting the hypothesis that nephrogenic genes are reactivated as part of the process of kidney regeneration following acute kidney injury (AKI). Emphasis will be placed on the reactivation of developmental pathways and how our understanding of the resulting regeneration process may be enhanced by lessons learned in the embryonic kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Cecilia Cirio
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Eric D. de Groh
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Mark P. de Caestecker
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Alan J. Davidson
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Neil A. Hukriede
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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20
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Gene regulatory network of renal primordium development. Pediatr Nephrol 2014; 29:637-44. [PMID: 24104595 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-013-2635-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Animal development progresses through the stepwise deployment of gene regulatory networks (GRN) encoded in the genome. Comparative analyses in different species and organ systems have revealed that GRN blueprints are composed of subcircuits with stereotypical architectures that are often reused as modular units. In this review, we report the evidence for the GRN underlying renal primordium development. In vertebrates, renal development is initiated by the induction of a field of intermediate mesoderm cells competent to undergo lineage specification and nephric (Wolffian) duct formation. Definition of the renal field leads to the activation of a core regulatory subcircuit composed of the transcription factors Pax2/8, Gata3 and Lim1. These transcription factors turn on a second layer of transcriptional regulators while also activating effectors of tissue morphogenesis and cellular specialization. Elongation and connection of the nephric duct to the cloaca (bladder/urethra primordium) is followed by metanephric kidney induction through signals emanating from the metanephric mesenchyme. Central to this process is the activation and positioning of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf)-Ret signaling pathway by network subcircuits located in the mesenchyme and epithelial tissues of the caudal trunk. Evidence shows that each step of the renal primordium developmental program is regulated by structured GRN subunits organized in a hierarchical manner. Understanding the structure and dynamics of the renal GRN will help us understand the intrinsic phenotypical variability of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract and guide our approaches to regenerative medicine.
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21
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Lam AQ, Freedman BS, Morizane R, Lerou PH, Valerius MT, Bonventre JV. Rapid and efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into intermediate mesoderm that forms tubules expressing kidney proximal tubular markers. J Am Soc Nephrol 2013; 25:1211-25. [PMID: 24357672 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2013080831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can generate a diversity of cell types, but few methods have been developed to derive cells of the kidney lineage. Here, we report a highly efficient system for differentiating human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (referred to collectively as hPSCs) into cells expressing markers of the intermediate mesoderm (IM) that subsequently form tubule-like structures. Treatment of hPSCs with the glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibitor CHIR99021 induced BRACHYURY(+)MIXL1(+) mesendoderm differentiation with nearly 100% efficiency. In the absence of additional exogenous factors, CHIR99021-induced mesendodermal cells preferentially differentiated into cells expressing markers of lateral plate mesoderm with minimal IM differentiation. However, the sequential treatment of hPSCs with CHIR99021 followed by fibroblast growth factor-2 and retinoic acid generated PAX2(+)LHX1(+) cells with 70%-80% efficiency after 3 days of differentiation. Upon growth factor withdrawal, these PAX2(+)LHX1(+) cells gave rise to apically ciliated tubular structures that coexpressed the proximal tubule markers Lotus tetragonolobus lectin, N-cadherin, and kidney-specific protein and partially integrated into embryonic kidney explant cultures. With the addition of FGF9 and activin, PAX2(+)LHX1(+) cells specifically differentiated into cells expressing SIX2, SALL1, and WT1, markers of cap mesenchyme nephron progenitor cells. Our findings demonstrate the effective role of fibroblast growth factor signaling in inducing IM differentiation in hPSCs and establish the most rapid and efficient system whereby hPSCs can be differentiated into cells with features characteristic of kidney lineage cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Q Lam
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and
| | - Benjamin S Freedman
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and
| | - Ryuji Morizane
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, and Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paul H Lerou
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Department of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - M Todd Valerius
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and
| | - Joseph V Bonventre
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and
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22
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Kam RKT, Shi W, Chan SO, Chen Y, Xu G, Lau CBS, Fung KP, Chan WY, Zhao H. Dhrs3 protein attenuates retinoic acid signaling and is required for early embryonic patterning. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:31477-87. [PMID: 24045938 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.514984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
All-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) is an important morphogen involved in many developmental processes, including neural differentiation, body axis formation, and organogenesis. During early embryonic development, atRA is synthesized from all-trans-retinal (atRAL) in an irreversible reaction mainly catalyzed by retinal dehydrogenase 2 (aldh1a2), whereas atRAL is converted from all-trans-retinol via reversible oxidation by retinol dehydrogenases, members of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family. atRA is degraded by cytochrome P450, family 26 (cyp26). We have previously identified a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase 3 (dhrs3), which showed differential expression patterns in Xenopus embryos. We show here that the expression of dhrs3 was induced by atRA treatment and overexpression of Xenopus nodal related 1 (xnr1) in animal cap assay. Overexpression of dhrs3 enhanced the phenotype of excessive cyp26a1. In embryos overexpressing aldh1a2 or retinol dehydrogenase 10 (rdh10) in the presence of their respective substrates, Dhrs3 counteracted the action of Aldh1a2 or Rdh10, indicating that retinoic acid signaling is attenuated. Knockdown of Dhrs3 by antisense morpholino oligonucleotides resulted in a phenotype of shortened anteroposterior axis, reduced head structure, and perturbed somitogenesis, which were also found in embryos treated with an excess of atRA. Examination of the expression of brachyury, not, goosecoid, and papc indicated that convergent extension movement was defective in Dhrs3 morphants. Taken together, these studies suggest that dhrs3 participates in atRA metabolism by reducing atRAL levels and is required for proper anteroposterior axis formation, neuroectoderm patterning, and somitogenesis.
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23
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Attia L, Yelin R, Schultheiss TM. Analysis of nephric duct specification in the avian embryo. Development 2012; 139:4143-51. [PMID: 23034630 DOI: 10.1242/dev.085258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate kidney tissue exhibits variable morphology that in general increases in complexity when moving from anterior to posterior along the body axis. The nephric duct, a simple unbranched epithelial tube, is derived in the avian embryo from a rudiment located in the anterior intermediate mesoderm (IM) adjacent to somites 8 to 10. Using quail-chick chimeric embryos, the current study finds that competence to form nephric duct is fixed when IM precursor cells are still located in the primitive streak, significantly before the onset of duct differentiation. In the primitive streak, expression of the gene HoxB4 is associated with prospective duct IM, whereas expression of the more posterior Hox gene HoxA6 is associated with more posterior, non-duct-forming IM. Misexpression of HoxA6, but not of HoxB4, in prospective duct-forming regions of the IM resulted in repression of duct formation, suggesting a mechanism for the restriction of duct formation to the anterior-most IM. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for anterior-posterior patterning of kidney tissue and of mesoderm in general, and for the loss of duct-forming ability in more posterior regions of the IM that has occurred during vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lital Attia
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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24
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Le Bouffant R, Wang JH, Futel M, Buisson I, Umbhauer M, Riou JF. Retinoic acid-dependent control of MAP kinase phosphatase-3 is necessary for early kidney development in Xenopus. Biol Cell 2012; 104:516-32. [DOI: 10.1111/boc.201200005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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25
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Sudou N, Yamamoto S, Ogino H, Taira M. Dynamic in vivo binding of transcription factors to cis-regulatory modules of cer and gsc in the stepwise formation of the Spemann-Mangold organizer. Development 2012; 139:1651-61. [PMID: 22492356 DOI: 10.1242/dev.068395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
How multiple developmental cues are integrated on cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) for cell fate decisions remains uncertain. The Spemann-Mangold organizer in Xenopus embryos expresses the transcription factors Lim1/Lhx1, Otx2, Mix1, Siamois (Sia) and VegT. Reporter analyses using sperm nuclear transplantation and DNA injection showed that cerberus (cer) and goosecoid (gsc) are activated by the aforementioned transcription factors through CRMs conserved between X. laevis and X. tropicalis. ChIP-qPCR analysis for the five transcription factors revealed that cer and gsc CRMs are initially bound by both Sia and VegT at the late blastula stage, and subsequently bound by all five factors at the gastrula stage. At the neurula stage, only binding of Lim1 and Otx2 to the gsc CRM, among others, persists, which corresponds to their co-expression in the prechordal plate. Based on these data, together with detailed expression pattern analysis, we propose a new model of stepwise formation of the organizer, in which (1) maternal VegT and Wnt-induced Sia first bind to CRMs at the blastula stage; then (2) Nodal-inducible Lim1, Otx2, Mix1 and zygotic VegT are bound to CRMs in the dorsal endodermal and mesodermal regions where all these genes are co-expressed; and (3) these two regions are combined at the gastrula stage to form the organizer. Thus, the in vivo dynamics of multiple transcription factors highlight their roles in the initiation and maintenance of gene expression, and also reveal the stepwise integration of maternal, Nodal and Wnt signaling on CRMs of organizer genes to generate the organizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Sudou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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26
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Elinson RP, del Pino EM. Developmental diversity of amphibians. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2012; 1:345-69. [PMID: 22662314 PMCID: PMC3364608 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The current model amphibian, Xenopus laevis, develops rapidly in water to a tadpole which metamorphoses into a frog. Many amphibians deviate from the X. laevis developmental pattern. Among other adaptations, their embryos develop in foam nests on land or in pouches on their mother's back or on a leaf guarded by a parent. The diversity of developmental patterns includes multinucleated oogenesis, lack of RNA localization, huge non-pigmented eggs, and asynchronous, irregular early cleavages. Variations in patterns of gastrulation highlight the modularity of this critical developmental period. Many species have eliminated the larva or tadpole and directly develop to the adult. The wealth of developmental diversity among amphibians coupled with the wealth of mechanistic information from X. laevis permit comparisons that provide deeper insights into developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Elinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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27
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Cirio MC, Hui Z, Haldin CE, Cosentino CC, Stuckenholz C, Chen X, Hong SK, Dawid IB, Hukriede NA. Lhx1 is required for specification of the renal progenitor cell field. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18858. [PMID: 21526205 PMCID: PMC3078140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the vertebrate embryo, the kidney is derived from the intermediate mesoderm. The LIM-class homeobox transcription factor lhx1 is expressed early in the intermediate mesoderm and is one of the first genes to be expressed in the nephric mesenchyme. In this study, we investigated the role of Lhx1 in specification of the kidney field by either overexpressing or depleting lhx1 in Xenopus embryos or depleting lhx1 in an explant culture system. By overexpressing a constitutively-active form of Lhx1, we established its capacity to expand the kidney field during the specification stage of kidney organogenesis. In addition, the ability of Lhx1 to expand the kidney field diminishes as kidney organogenesis transitions to the morphogenesis stage. In a complimentary set of experiments, we determined that embryos depleted of lhx1, show an almost complete loss of the kidney field. Using an explant culture system to induce kidney tissue, we confirmed that expression of genes from both proximal and distal kidney structures is affected by the absence of lhx1. Taken together our results demonstrate an essential role for Lhx1 in driving specification of the entire kidney field from the intermediate mesoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Cecilia Cirio
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Zhao Hui
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong
| | - Caroline E. Haldin
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Chiara Cianciolo Cosentino
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Carsten Stuckenholz
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xiongfong Chen
- Unit on Biologic Computation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sung-Kook Hong
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Igor B. Dawid
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Neil A. Hukriede
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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28
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McCoy KE, Zhou X, Vize PD. Non-canonical wnt signals antagonize and canonical wnt signals promote cell proliferation in early kidney development. Dev Dyn 2011; 240:1558-66. [PMID: 21465621 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Canonical and non-canonical wnt signals often have opposed roles. In this report, we use developing Xenopus embryos to demonstrate a novel anti-proliferative role for non-canonical wnt signals in the very earliest stages of kidney development. Non-canonical wnt signals were down-regulated using PDZ domain mutants of dishevelled 2 and up-regulated using wild-type vang-like 2, while canonical signals were manipulated using dominant-negative forms of lef1 or treatment with lithium. When non-canonical signals are down-regulated in the developing Xenopus pronephros, cell proliferation rates increased and when canonical signals were shutdown the opposite occurred. Treatment with lithium chloride has a powerful pro-proliferative effect on the forming nephric primordium. Together these data show that in addition to previously documented antagonisms between these distinct wnt signaling pathways, they also have opposing effects on cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle E McCoy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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29
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Drews C, Senkel S, Ryffel GU. The nephrogenic potential of the transcription factors osr1, osr2, hnf1b, lhx1 and pax8 assessed in Xenopus animal caps. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2011; 11:5. [PMID: 21281489 PMCID: PMC3042965 DOI: 10.1186/1471-213x-11-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 01/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The three distinct types of kidneys, pronephros, mesonephros and metanephros, develop consecutively in vertebrates. The earliest form of embryonic kidney, the pronephros, is derived from intermediate mesoderm and the first expressed genes localized in the pronephros anlage are the transcription factors osr1, osr2, hnf1b, lhx1 and pax8, here referred to as the early nephrogenic transcription factors. However, the pathway inducing nephrogenesis and the network of theses factors are poorly understood. Treatment of the undifferentiated animal pole explant (animal cap) of Xenopus with activin A and retinoic acid induces pronephros formation providing a powerful tool to analyze key molecular events in nephrogenesis. RESULTS We have investigated the expression kinetics of the early nephrogenic transcription factors in activin A and retinoic acid treated animal caps and their potential to induce pronephric differentiation. In treated animal caps, expression of osr1, osr2, hnf1b and lhx1 are induced early, whereas pax8 expression occurs later implying an indirect activation. Activin A alone is able to induce osr2 and lhx1 after three hours treatment in animal caps while retinoic acid fails to induce any of these nephrogenic transcription factors. The early expression of the five transcription factors and their interference with pronephros development when overexpressed in embryos suggest that these factors potentially induce nephrogenesis upon expression in animal caps. But no pronephros development is achieved by either overexpression of OSR1, by HNF1B injection with activin A treatment, or the combined application of LHX1 and PAX8, although they influenced the expression of several early nephrogenic transcription factors in some cases. In an additional approach we could show that HNF1B induces several genes important in nephrogenesis and regulates lhx1 expression by an HNF1 binding site in the lhx1 promoter. CONCLUSIONS The early nephrogenic transcription factors play an important role in nephrogenesis, but have no pronephros induction potential upon overexpression in animal caps. They activate transcriptional cascades that partially reflect the gene activation initiated by activin A and retinoic acid. Significantly, HNF1B activates the lhx1 promoter directly, thus extending the known activin A regulation of the lhx1 gene via an activin A responsive element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Drews
- Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung) Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Sabine Senkel
- Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung) Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Gerhart U Ryffel
- Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung) Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
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30
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Agrawal R, Tran U, Wessely O. The miR-30 miRNA family regulates Xenopus pronephros development and targets the transcription factor Xlim1/Lhx1. Development 2009; 136:3927-36. [PMID: 19906860 DOI: 10.1242/dev.037432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They are involved in diverse biological processes, such as development, differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. To study the role of miRNAs during pronephric kidney development of Xenopus, global miRNA biogenesis was eliminated by knockdown of two key components: Dicer and Dgcr8. These embryos developed a range of kidney defects, including edema formation, delayed renal epithelial differentiation and abnormal patterning. To identify a causative miRNA, mouse and frog kidneys were screened for putative candidates. Among these, the miR-30 family showed the most prominent kidney-restricted expression. Moreover, knockdown of miR-30a-5p phenocopied most of the pronephric defects observed upon global inhibition of miRNA biogenesis. Molecular analyses revealed that miR-30 regulates the LIM-class homeobox factor Xlim1/Lhx1, a major transcriptional regulator of kidney development. miR-30 targeted Xlim1/Lhx1 via two previously unrecognized binding sites in its 3'UTR and thereby restricted its activity. During kidney development, Xlim1/Lhx1 is required in the early stages, but is downregulated subsequently. However, in the absence of miR-30 activity, Xlim1/Lhx1 is maintained at high levels and, therefore, may contribute to the delayed terminal differentiation of the amphibian pronephros.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Agrawal
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center, MEB 6A12, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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31
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Lee SJ, Kim S, Choi SC, Han JK. XPteg (Xenopus proximal tubules-expressed gene) is essential for pronephric mesoderm specification and tubulogenesis. Mech Dev 2009; 127:49-61. [PMID: 19909807 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2009.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2008] [Revised: 11/02/2009] [Accepted: 11/05/2009] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is important for the early steps of nephrogenic cell fate specification. Here, we report a novel target gene of RA signaling named XPteg (Xenopus proximal tubules-expressed gene) which is critical for pronephric development. XPteg starts to be expressed at the earliest stage of embryonic kidney specification and was restricted to the pronephric proximal tubules during kidney development. Anti-sense morpholino (MO)-mediated knockdown of XPteg perturbed formation of pronephros as demonstrated by reduced expression of pronephric tubule markers. Conversely, overexpression of XPteg promoted endogenous and ectopic expression of those markers and expanded pronephric tubules. Treatment of retinoic acid induced the expression of XPteg in the pronephric field without protein synthesis. Furthermore, we found that the pronephric defects caused by a dominant negative RA receptor could be rescued by coexpression of XPteg. Taken together, these results suggest that XPteg functions as a direct transcriptional target of RA signaling to regulate pronephric tubulogenesis in Xenopus early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Joon Lee
- Department of Life Science, Division of Molecular and Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Kyungbuk, South Korea
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32
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Miazga CM, McLaughlin KA. Coordinating the timing of cardiac precursor development during gastrulation: A new role for Notch signaling. Dev Biol 2009; 333:285-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2009] [Revised: 06/16/2009] [Accepted: 06/27/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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33
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Romero-Carvajal A, Sáenz-Ponce N, Venegas-Ferrín M, Almeida-Reinoso D, Lee C, Bond J, Ryan MJ, Wallingford JB, Del Pino EM. Embryogenesis and laboratory maintenance of the foam-nesting túngara frogs, genus Engystomops (= Physalaemus). Dev Dyn 2009; 238:1444-54. [PMID: 19384855 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of embryological research on amphibians focuses on just a single genus of frogs, Xenopus. To attain a more comprehensive understanding of amphibian development, experimentation on non-model frogs will be essential. Here, we report on the early development, rearing, and embryological analysis of túngara frogs (genus Engystomops, also called Physalaemus). The frogs Engystomops pustulosus, Engystomops coloradorum, and Engystomops randi construct floating foam-nests with small eggs. We define a table of 23 stages for the developmental period in the foam-nest. Embryos were immunostained against Lim1, neural, and somite-specific proteins and the expression pattern of RetinoBlastoma Binding Protein 6 (RBBP6) was analyzed by in situ hybridization. Due to their brief life-cycle, frogs belonging to the genus Engystomops are attractive for comparative and genetic studies of development. Developmental Dynamics 238:1444-1454, 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Romero-Carvajal
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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34
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Dichmann DS, Fletcher RB, Harland RM. Expression cloning in Xenopus identifies RNA-binding proteins as regulators of embryogenesis and Rbmx as necessary for neural and muscle development. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:1755-66. [PMID: 18521943 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have performed an expression cloning screen in Xenopus laevis with the aim of isolating novel gene activities from the neural plate. Of 8,064 clones screened, we isolated 61 clones that affected either neural plate patterning or tadpole morphology. Of these, 20 clones encoded RNA binding proteins, and the majority of these are heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) or SR-proteins, which are associated with alternative splicing. All of these genes are expressed in the nervous system, and in several cases specific to neural tissue. Injecting mRNA encoding these proteins results in neural plate mispatterning and abnormal muscle segmentation. To initiate characterization of these proteins, we selected Rbmx as a candidate for deeper analysis. Using morpholino mediated knockdown, we show that Rbmx is necessary for normal anterior neural plate patterning, neurogenesis, neural crest development, and muscle segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darwin S Dichmann
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3200, USA
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35
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Haldin CE, Massé KL, Bhamra S, Simrick S, Kyuno JI, Jones EA. The lmx1b gene is pivotal in glomus development in Xenopus laevis. Dev Biol 2008; 322:74-85. [PMID: 18687324 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2007] [Revised: 07/03/2008] [Accepted: 07/07/2008] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that lmx1b, a LIM homeodomain protein, is expressed in the pronephric glomus. We now show temporal and spatial expression patterns of lmx1b and its potential binding partners in both dissected pronephric anlagen and in individual dissected components of stage 42 pronephroi. Morpholino oligonucleotide knock-down of lmx1b establishes a role for lmx1b in the development of the pronephric components. Depletion of lmx1b results in the formation of a glomus with reduced size. Pronephric tubules were also shown to be reduced in structure and/or coiling whereas more distal tubule structure was unaffected. Over-expression of lmx1b mRNA resulted in no significant phenotype. Given that lmx1b protein is known to function as a heterodimer, we have over-expressed lmx1b mRNA alone or in combination with potential interacting molecules and analysed the effects on kidney structures. Phenotypes observed by over-expression of lim1 and ldb1 are partially rescued by co-injection with lmx1b mRNA. Animal cap experiments confirm that co-injection of lmx1b with potential binding partners can up-regulate pronephric molecular markers suggesting that lmx1b lies upstream of wt1 in the gene network controlling glomus differentiation. This places lmx1b in a genetic hierarchy involved in pronephros development and suggests that it is the balance in levels of binding partners together with restricted expression domains of lmx1b and lim1 which influences differentiation into glomus or tubule derivatives in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Haldin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
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36
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Colas A, Cartry J, Buisson I, Umbhauer M, Smith JC, Riou JF. Mix.1/2-dependent control of FGF availability during gastrulation is essential for pronephros development in Xenopus. Dev Biol 2008; 320:351-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.05.547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2007] [Revised: 04/30/2008] [Accepted: 05/20/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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37
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Bracken CM, Mizeracka K, McLaughlin KA. Patterning the embryonic kidney: BMP signaling mediates the differentiation of the pronephric tubules and duct in Xenopus laevis. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:132-44. [PMID: 18069689 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) mediate a wide range of diverse cellular behaviors throughout development. Previous studies implicated an important role for BMP signaling during the differentiation of the definitive mammalian kidney, the metanephros. In order to examine whether BMP signaling also plays an important role during the patterning of earlier renal systems, we examined the development of the earliest nephric system, the pronephros. Using the amphibian model system Xenopus laevis, in combination with reagents designed to inhibit BMP signaling during specific stages of nephric development, we revealed an evolutionarily conserved role for this signaling pathway during renal morphogenesis. Our results demonstrate that conditional BMP inhibition after specification of the pronephric anlagen is completed, but prior to the onset of morphogenesis and differentiation of renal tissues, results in the severe malformation of both the pronephric duct and tubules. Importantly, the effects of BMP signaling on the developing nephron during this developmental window are specific, only affecting the developing duct and tubules, but not the glomus. These data, combined with previous studies examining metanephric development in mice, provide further support that BMP functions to mediate morphogenesis of the specified renal field during vertebrate embryogenesis. Specifically, BMP signaling is required for the differentiation of two types of nephric structures, the pronephric tubules and duct.
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38
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Upstream stimulatory factors, USF1 and USF2 are differentially expressed during Xenopus embryonic development. Gene Expr Patterns 2008; 8:376-381. [PMID: 18585979 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2008.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2007] [Revised: 05/16/2008] [Accepted: 05/20/2008] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Upstream stimulatory factors (USF) 1 and 2 are members of the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor family. They are considered to play critical roles in cell-cycle regulation and chromatin remodeling. Their gene expression patterns are considered ubiquitous but have not been fully investigated in terms of embryogenesis. We examined the expression of the genes encoding USF1 and USF2 in Xenopus laevis during embryonic development. Expression of both genes was first detected as maternal transcripts and was observed continuously throughout development. However, in situ hybridization analysis revealed that the two genes were expressed differentially. In the late blastula, both genes were expressed in the blastocoel roof and marginal zone. At the gastrula stage, USF2 was strongly expressed in the sensorial layer of the ectoderm and in the mesoderm, whereas USF1 expression was hardly detectable. From the neurula stage onward, expression of both genes was markedly enhanced in the neural tissues, neural crest, eye and otic vesicle. However, spatial expression of the genes within the neural tube differed in that the strongest USF1 signals were observed in the lateral region of the basal plate and the strongest USF2 ones in the dorsal region of the neural tube. Expression of the two genes occurred in different mesoderm derivatives at the tailbud stage (USF1, somite; USF2, pronephros and lateral plate mesoderm of the tail region). USF1 was expressed in the notochord of the early neurula, but was lost at the stage.
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39
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A functional screen for genes involved in Xenopus pronephros development. Mech Dev 2008; 125:571-86. [PMID: 18472403 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2008.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2008] [Revised: 03/05/2008] [Accepted: 03/08/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In Xenopus, the pronephros is the functional larval kidney and consists of two identifiable components; the glomus, the pronephric tubules, which can be divided into four separate segments, based on marker gene expression. The simplicity of this organ, coupled with the fact that it displays the same basic organization and function as more complex mesonephros and metanephros, makes this an attractive model to study vertebrate kidney formation. In this study, we have performed a functional screen specifically to identify genes involved in pronephros development in Xenopus. Gain-of-function screens are performed by injecting mRNA pools made from a non-redundant X. tropicalis full-length plasmid cDNA library into X. laevis eggs, followed by sib-selection to identify the single clone that caused abnormal phenotypes in the pronephros. Out of 768 egg and gastrula stage cDNA clones, 31 genes, approximately 4% of the screened clones, affected pronephric marker expression examined by whole mount in situ hybridization or antibody staining. Most of the positive clones had clear expression patterns in pronephros and predicted/established functions highly likely to be involved in developmental processes. In order to carry out a more detailed study, we selected Sox7, Cpeb3, P53csv, Mecr and Dnajc15, which had highly specific expression patterns in the pronephric region. The over-expression of these five selected clones indicated that they caused pronephric abnormalities with different temporal and spatial effects. These results suggest that our strategy to identify novel genes involved in pronephros development was highly successful, and that this strategy is effective for the identification of novel genes involved in late developmental events.
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40
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del Pino EM, Venegas-Ferrín M, Romero-Carvajal A, Montenegro-Larrea P, Sáenz-Ponce N, Moya IM, Alarcón I, Sudou N, Yamamoto S, Taira M. A comparative analysis of frog early development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:11882-8. [PMID: 17606898 PMCID: PMC1924569 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0705092104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The current understanding of Xenopus laevis development provides a comparative background for the analysis of frog developmental modes. Our analysis of development in various frogs reveals that the mode of gastrulation is associated with developmental rate and is unrelated to egg size. In the gastrula of the rapidly developing embryos of the foam-nesting frogs Engystomops coloradorum and Engystomops randi, archenteron and notochord elongation overlapped with involution at the blastopore lip, as in X. laevis embryos. In embryos of dendrobatid frogs and in the frog without tadpoles Eleutherodactylus coqui, which develop somewhat more slowly than X. laevis, involution and archenteron elongation concomitantly occurred during gastrulation; whereas elongation of the notochord and, therefore, dorsal convergence and extension, occurred in the postgastrula. In contrast, in the slow developing embryos of the marsupial frog Gastrotheca riobambae, only involution occurred during gastrulation. The processes of archenteron and notochord elongation and convergence and extension were postgastrulation events. We produced an Ab against the homeodomain protein Lim1 from X. laevis as a tool for the comparative analysis of development. By the expression of Lim1, we were able to identify the dorsal side of the G. riobambae early gastrula, which otherwise was difficult to detect. Moreover, the Lim1 expression in the dorsal lip of the blastopore and notochord differed among the studied frogs, indicating variation in the timing of developmental events. The variation encountered gives evidence of the modular character of frog gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia M del Pino
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Quito, Ecuador.
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41
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Morris J, Ladurner P, Rieger R, Pfister D, Del Mar De Miguel-Bonet M, Jacobs D, Hartenstein V. The Macrostomum lignano EST database as a molecular resource for studying platyhelminth development and phylogeny. Dev Genes Evol 2006; 216:695-707. [PMID: 17021863 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-006-0098-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2006] [Accepted: 06/20/2006] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We report the development of an Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) resource for the flatworm Macrostomum lignano. This taxon is of interest due to its basal placement within the flatworms. As such, it provides a useful comparative model for understanding the development of neural and sensory organization. It was anticipated on the basis of previous studies [e.g., Sánchez-Alvarado et al., Development, 129:5659-5665, (2002)] that a wide range of developmental markers would be expressed in later-stage macrostomids, and this proved to be the case, permitting recovery of a range of gene sequences important in development. To this end, an adult Macrostomum cDNA library was generated and 7,680 Macrostomum ESTs were sequenced from the 5' end. In addition, 1,536 of these aforementioned sequences were sequenced from the 3' end. Of the roughly 5,416 non-redundant sequences identified, 68% are similar to previously reported genes of known function. In addition, nearly 100 specific clones were obtained with potential neural and sensory function. From these data, an annotated searchable database of the Macrostomum EST collection has been made available on the web. A major objective was to obtain genes that would allow reconstruction of embryogenesis, and in particular neurogenesis, in a basal platyhelminth. The sequences recovered will serve as probes with which the origin and morphogenesis of lineages and tissues can be followed. To this end, we demonstrate a protocol for combined immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization labeling in juvenile Macrostomum, employing homologs of lin11/lim1 and six3/optix. Expression of these genes is shown in the context of the neuropile/muscle system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Morris
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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42
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Osório J, Megías M, Pombal MA, Rétaux S. Dynamic expression of the LIM-homeodomain gene Lhx15 through larval brain development of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Gene Expr Patterns 2006; 6:873-8. [PMID: 16597515 DOI: 10.1016/j.modgep.2006.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2005] [Revised: 02/21/2006] [Accepted: 02/22/2006] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
LIM-homeodomain genes encode a family of transcription factors with highly conserved roles in the patterning and regionalisation of the vertebrate brain. The expression of one of those genes, Lhx15, in the embryonic lamprey brain, characterises precise functional subdivisions. In order to analyse the non-embryonic development of the lamprey brain, we chose this gene to perform in situ hybridisations in Petromyzon marinus larvae of different ages. We demonstrate the usefulness of Lhx15 to follow the development and morphogenesis of brain structures and show the dynamical expression of this gene through time. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the evolutionary conservation of the expression of this gene in the spinal cord, notochord and urogenital system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Osório
- UPR 2197 Développement, Evolution, Plasticité du Système Nerveux, Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred Fessard, C.N.R.S., Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France
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43
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Kumano G, Ezal C, Smith WC. ADMP2 is essential for primitive blood and heart development in Xenopus. Dev Biol 2006; 299:411-23. [PMID: 16959239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2005] [Revised: 06/29/2006] [Accepted: 08/02/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We describe here the cloning of a new member of the TGF-beta family with similarity to the anti-dorsalizing morphogenetic proteins (ADMPs). This new gene, ADMP2, is expressed in a broad band of mesendoderm cells that appear to include the progenitors of the endoderm and the ventral mesoderm. Antisense morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown of ADMP2 results in near-complete disruption of primitive blood and heart development, while the development of other mesoderm derivatives, including pronephros, muscle and lateral plate is not disrupted. Moreover, the development of the primitive blood in ADMP2 knockdown embryos cannot be rescued by BMP. These results suggests that ADMP2 plays an early role in specifying presumptive ventral mesoderm in the leading edge mesoderm, and that ADMP2 activity may be necessary to respond to BMP signaling in the context of ventral mesoderm induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaku Kumano
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Cartry J, Nichane M, Ribes V, Colas A, Riou JF, Pieler T, Dollé P, Bellefroid EJ, Umbhauer M. Retinoic acid signalling is required for specification of pronephric cell fate. Dev Biol 2006; 299:35-51. [PMID: 16979153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2006] [Revised: 06/20/2006] [Accepted: 06/27/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which a subset of mesodermal cells are committed to a nephrogenic fate are largely unknown. In this study, we have investigated the role of retinoic acid (RA) signalling in this process using Xenopus laevis as a model system and Raldh2 knockout mice. Pronephros formation in Xenopus embryo is severely impaired when RA signalling is inhibited either through expression of a dominant-negative RA receptor, or by expressing the RA-catabolizing enzyme XCyp26 or through treatment with chemical inhibitors. Conversely, ectopic RA signalling expands the size of the pronephros. Using a transplantation assay that inhibits RA signalling specifically in pronephric precursors, we demonstrate that this signalling is required within this cell population. Timed antagonist treatments show that RA signalling is required during gastrulation for expression of Xlim-1 and XPax-8 in pronephric precursors. Moreover, experiments conducted with a protein synthesis inhibitor indicate that RA may directly regulate Xlim-1. Raldh2 knockout mouse embryos fail to initiate the expression of early kidney-specific genes, suggesting that implication of RA signalling in the early steps of kidney formation is evolutionary conserved in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Cartry
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, équipe Signalisation et Morphogenèse, UMR CNRS 7622, Université Paris VI, 9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
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45
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Urban AE, Zhou X, Ungos JM, Raible DW, Altmann CR, Vize PD. FGF is essential for both condensation and mesenchymal-epithelial transition stages of pronephric kidney tubule development. Dev Biol 2006; 297:103-17. [PMID: 16872594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.04.469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2006] [Revised: 04/10/2006] [Accepted: 04/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The pronephros is a transient embryonic kidney that is essential for the survival of aquatic larvae. It is also absolutely critical for adult kidney development, as the pronephric derivative the wolffian duct forms the ductal system of the adult kidney and also triggers the condensation of metanephric mesenchyme into the adult nephrons. While exploring Xenopus pronephric patterning, we observed that epidermally delivered hedgehog completely suppresses pronephric kidney tubule development but does not effect development of the pronephric glomus, the equivalent of the mammalian glomerulus or corpuscle. This effect is not mediated by apoptosis. Microarray analysis of microdissected primordia identified FGF8 as one of the potential mediators of hedgehog action. Further investigation demonstrated that SU5402-sensitive FGF signaling plays a critical role in the very earliest stages of pronephric tubule development. Modulation of FGF8 activity using a morpholino has a later effect that blocks condensation of pronephric mesenchyme into the pronephric tubule. Together, these data show that FGF signaling plays a critical role at two stages of embryonic kidney development, one in the condensation of the pronephric primordium from the intermediate mesoderm and a second in the later epithelialization of this mesenchyme into the pronephric nephron. The data also show that in Xenopus, development of the glomus/glomerulus can be uncoupled from nephron formation via ectopic hedgehog expression and provides an experimental avenue for investigating glomerulogenesis in the complete absence of tubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Urban
- Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
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46
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Chou SJ, Hermesz E, Hatta T, Feltner D, El-Hodiri HM, Jamrich M, Mahon K. Conserved regulatory elements establish the dynamic expression of Rpx/HesxI in early vertebrate development. Dev Biol 2006; 292:533-45. [PMID: 16527264 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2005] [Revised: 12/06/2005] [Accepted: 12/23/2005] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
TheRpx/Hesx1 homeobox gene is expressed during gastrulation in the anterior visceral and definitive endoderm and the cephalic neural plate. At later stages of development, its expression is restricted to Rathke's pouch, the primordium of the pituitary gland. This expression pattern suggests the presence of at least two distinct regulatory regions that control early and late Rpx transcription. Using transgenic mice, we have demonstrated that regulatory sequences in the 5' upstream region of Rpx are important for early expression in the anterior endoderm and neural plate and regulatory elements in the 3' region are required for late expression in Rathke's pouch. We have found that the genetically required LIM homeodomain-containing proteins Lim1/Lhx1 and Lhx3 are directly involved in the regulation of Rpx transcription. They bind two LIM protein-binding sites in the 5' upstream region of Rpx, which are required for Rpx promoter activity in both mice and Xenopus. Furthermore, we have found that a conserved enhancer in the 3' regulatory sequences of Rpx is not only required, but is also sufficient for the expression of Rpx transgenes in the developing Rathke's pouch.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Binding Sites
- Cells, Cultured
- Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
- Embryo, Mammalian/cytology
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Endoderm/cytology
- Gastrula
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Genes, Homeobox
- Genes, Reporter
- Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
- Hypothalamus/embryology
- Hypothalamus/metabolism
- Lac Operon
- Luciferases/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Models, Biological
- Point Mutation
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Binding
- Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics
- Transgenes
- Vertebrates/embryology
- Xenopus
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen-Ju Chou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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47
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Contakos SP, Gaydos CM, Pfeil EC, McLaughlin KA. Subdividing the embryo: a role for Notch signaling during germ layer patterning in Xenopus laevis. Dev Biol 2005; 288:294-307. [PMID: 16289076 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2004] [Revised: 09/07/2005] [Accepted: 09/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The development of all vertebrate embryos requires the establishment of a three-dimensional coordinate system in order to pattern embryonic structures and create the complex shape of the adult organism. During the process of gastrulation, the three primary germ layers are created under the guidance of numerous signaling pathways, allowing cells to communicate during development. Cell-cell communication, mediated by receptors of the Notch family, has been shown to be involved in mediating diverse cellular behaviors during development and has been implicated in the regulation of cell fate decisions in both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. In order to investigate a role for Notch signaling during boundary formation between the mesoderm and endoderm during gastrulation, we manipulated Notch signaling in gastrula stage embryos and examined gene expression in resultant tissues and organs. Our findings demonstrate a much broader role for Notch signaling during germ layer determination than previously reported in a vertebrate organism. Activation of the Notch pathway, specifically in gastrula stage embryos, results in a dramatic decrease in the expression of genes necessary to create many different types of mesodermal tissues while causing a dramatic expansion of endodermal tissue markers. Conversely, temporally controlled suppression of this pathway results in a loss of endodermal cell types and an expansion of molecular markers of mesoderm. Thus, our data are consistent with and significantly extend the implications of prior observations suggesting roles for Notch signaling during germ layer formation and establish an evolutionarily conserved role for Notch signaling in mediating mesoderm-endoderm boundaries during early vertebrate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey P Contakos
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 120 Dana Hall, 163 Packard Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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48
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Arima K, Shiotsugu J, Niu R, Khandpur R, Martinez M, Shin Y, Koide T, Cho KWY, Kitayama A, Ueno N, Chandraratna RAS, Blumberg B. Global analysis of RAR-responsive genes in the Xenopus neurula using cDNA microarrays. Dev Dyn 2005; 232:414-31. [PMID: 15614783 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinoid signaling is important for patterning the vertebrate hindbrain and midaxial regions. We recently showed that signaling through retinoic acid receptors (RARs) is essential for anteroposterior patterning along the entire body axis. To further investigate the mechanisms through which RARs act, we used microarray analysis to investigate the effects of modulating RAR activity on target gene expression. We identified 334 up-regulated genes (92% of which were validated), including known RA-responsive genes, known genes that have never been proposed as RA targets and many hypothetical and unidentified genes (n = 166). Sixty-seven validated down-regulated genes were identified, including known RA-responsive genes and anterior marker genes. The expression patterns of selected up-regulated genes (n = 45) were examined at neurula stages using whole-mount in situ hybridization. We found that most of these genes were expressed in the neural tube and many were expressed in anterior tissues such as neural crest, brain, eye anlagen, and cement gland. Some were expressed in tissues such as notochord, somites, pronephros, and blood islands, where retinoic acid (RA) plays established roles in organogenesis. Members of this set of newly identified RAR target genes are likely to play important roles in neural patterning and organogenesis under the control of RAR signaling pathways, and their further characterization will expand our understanding of RA signaling during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayo Arima
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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49
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Satow R, Chan TC, Asashima M. The role of Xenopus frizzled-8 in pronephric development. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 321:487-94. [PMID: 15358202 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.06.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrates use two or three forms of kidney successively during development and the nephric duct is essential for this succession of kidney induction. While transcripts of many Wnt ligands and Wnt receptor Frizzled genes have been localized in developing kidney, the relationship between Wnt signaling and nephric duct development remains unknown. This study investigated the role of Xenopus frizzled-8 (Xfz8) in pronephros development. Translational inhibition of Xfz8 caused a significant reduction in the staining of a duct-specific antibody, but did not affect the expression of early pronephric maker genes in the duct region. Defects in pronephric tubule branching were also observed following inhibition of Xfz8. Histological analysis revealed that the Xfz8-inhibited cells failed to form a normal epithelium structure. These results suggest that Xfz8 is involved in the process of normal epithelium formation in the developing pronephric duct and tubules after specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reiko Satow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
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50
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Yoshida Y, Kim S, Chiba K, Kawai S, Tachikawa H, Takahashi N. Calcineurin inhibitors block dorsal-side signaling that affect late-stage development of the heart, kidney, liver, gut and somitic tissue during Xenopus embryogenesis. Dev Growth Differ 2004; 46:139-52. [PMID: 15066193 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2004.00733.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Calcineurin, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase, is a key constituent of signaling pathways involved in antigen-dependent T-cell activation and development of the mammalian heart. In addition, calcineurin constitutes a part of the Wnt/calcium-signaling pathway that regulates early stages of dorsoventral axis formation in Xenopus embryos. Although some of the Wnt family members are involved in organ formation at relatively late stages of Xenopus development, the involvement of calcineurin in the development of those organs remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrate that calcineurin inhibitors (cyclosporine A, FK506, and FK520), but not non-calcineurin inhibitors (rapamycin and GPI1046) that bind the same intracellular receptor as that for FK506, induce edema and gut coiling disruption and exhibit teratogenesis in the kidney, heart, gut, liver, and somitic tissue during Xenopus development. The same effects were observed by injecting the calcineurin inhibitors into the dorsal side, but not ventral side, of blastomeres at the 4-cell stage, although the inhibitors did not affect dorsoventral axis formation. These results suggest that calcineurin is involved in dorsal-side signaling that leads to the formation of the heart, kidney, liver, gut and somitic tissue during Xenopus embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Yoshida
- Department of Bioengineering, United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
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