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Krueger CJ, Dai Z, Zhu C, Zhang B. Heritable CRISPR Mutagenesis of Essential Maternal Effect Genes as a Simple Tool for Sustained Population Suppression of Invasive Species in a Zebrafish Model. Zebrafish 2024. [PMID: 38512221 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2023.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Invasive species control is important for ecological and agricultural management. Genetic methods can provide species specificity for population control. We developed heritable maternal effect embryo lethality (HMEL), a novel strategy allowing negative population pressure from HMEL individuals to be transmitted within a population across generations. We demonstrate the HMEL technique in zebrafish through genome-integrated CRISPR/Cas targeted mutagenic disruption of nucleoplasmin 2b (npm2b), a female-specific essential maternal effect gene, causing heritable sex-limited disruption of reproduction. HMEL-induced high-efficiency mutation of npm2b in females suppresses population, while males transmit the HMEL allele across generations. HMEL could be easily modified to target other genes causing sex-specific sterility, or generalized to control invasive fish or other vertebrate species for environmental conservation or agricultural protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Krueger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifei Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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2
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Camacho-Macorra C, Tabanera N, Sánchez-Bustamante E, Bovolenta P, Cardozo MJ. Maternal vgll4a regulates zebrafish epiboly through Yap1 activity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1362695. [PMID: 38444829 PMCID: PMC10912589 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1362695] [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: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrulation in zebrafish embryos commences with the morphogenetic rearrangement of blastodermal cells, which undergo a coordinated spreading from the animal pole to wrap around the egg at the vegetal pole. This rearrangement, known as epiboly, relies on the orchestrated activity of maternal transcripts present in the egg, compensating for the gradual activation of the zygotic genome. Epiboly involves the mechano-transducer activity of yap1 but what are the regulators of yap1 activity and whether these are maternally or zygotically derived remain elusive. Our study reveals the crucial role of maternal vgll4a, a proposed Yap1 competitor, during zebrafish epiboly. In embryos lacking maternal/zygotic vgll4a (MZvgll4a), the progression of epiboly and blastopore closure is delayed. This delay is associated with the ruffled appearance of the sliding epithelial cells, decreased expression of yap1-downstream targets and transient impairment of the actomyosin ring at the syncytial layer. Our study also shows that, rather than competing with yap1, vgll4a modulates the levels of the E-cadherin/β-catenin adhesion complex at the blastomeres' plasma membrane and hence their actin cortex distribution. Taking these results together, we propose that maternal vgll4a acts at epiboly initiation upstream of yap1 and the E-cadherin/β-catenin adhesion complex, contributing to a proper balance between tissue tension/cohesion and contractility, thereby promoting a timely epiboly progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Camacho-Macorra
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemí Tabanera
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Sánchez-Bustamante
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos J Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
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3
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Riesle AJ, Gao M, Rosenblatt M, Hermes J, Hass H, Gebhard A, Veil M, Grüning B, Timmer J, Onichtchouk D. Activator-blocker model of transcriptional regulation by pioneer-like factors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5677. [PMID: 37709752 PMCID: PMC10502082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41507-z] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in the development of flies, fish, frogs and mammals depends on pioneer-like transcription factors (TFs). Those TFs create open chromatin regions, promote histone acetylation on enhancers, and activate transcription. Here, we use the panel of single, double and triple mutants for zebrafish genome activators Pou5f3, Sox19b and Nanog, multi-omics and mathematical modeling to investigate the combinatorial mechanisms of genome activation. We show that Pou5f3 and Nanog act differently on synergistic and antagonistic enhancer types. Pou5f3 and Nanog both bind as pioneer-like TFs on synergistic enhancers, promote histone acetylation and activate transcription. Antagonistic enhancers are activated by binding of one of these factors. The other TF binds as non-pioneer-like TF, competes with the activator and blocks all its effects, partially or completely. This activator-blocker mechanism mutually restricts widespread transcriptional activation by Pou5f3 and Nanog and prevents premature expression of late developmental regulators in the early embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen Julia Riesle
- Department of Developmental Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Rome, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00015, Monterotondo, RM, Italy
| | - Meijiang Gao
- Department of Developmental Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research centers BIOSS and CIBSS, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Rosenblatt
- Institute of Physics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jacques Hermes
- Institute of Physics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Helge Hass
- Institute of Physics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna Gebhard
- Department of Developmental Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marina Veil
- Department of Developmental Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Björn Grüning
- Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jens Timmer
- Signalling Research centers BIOSS and CIBSS, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Institute of Physics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling (FDM), 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Daria Onichtchouk
- Department of Developmental Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Signalling Research centers BIOSS and CIBSS, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, 119991, Moscow, Russia.
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4
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Galitsyna A, Ulianov SV, Bykov NS, Veil M, Gao M, Perevoschikova K, Gelfand M, Razin SV, Mirny L, Onichtchouk D. Extrusion fountains are hallmarks of chromosome organization emerging upon zygotic genome activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.15.549120. [PMID: 37503128 PMCID: PMC10370019 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.15.549120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The first activation of gene expression during development (zygotic genome activation, ZGA) is accompanied by massive changes in chromosome organization. The connection between these two processes remains unknown. Using Hi-C for zebrafish embryos, we found that chromosome folding starts by establishing "fountains", novel elements of chromosome organization, emerging selectively at enhancers upon ZGA. Using polymer simulations, we demonstrate that fountains can emerge as sites of targeted cohesin loading and require two-sided, yet desynchronized, loop extrusion. Specific loss of fountains upon loss of pioneer transcription factors that drive ZGA reveals a causal connection between enhancer activity and fountain formation. Finally, we show that fountains emerge in early Medaka and Xenopus embryos; moreover, we found cohesin-dependent fountain pattern on enhancers of mouse embryonic stem cells. Taken together, fountains are the first enhancer-specific elements of chromosome organization; they constitute starting points of chromosome folding during early development, likely serving as sites of targeted cohesin loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Galitsyna
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sergey V. Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Nikolai S. Bykov
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems (the Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Baldiri Reixac 4, Barcelona, 08028 Spain
| | - Marina Veil
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Meijiang Gao
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Kristina Perevoschikova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Mikhail Gelfand
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems (the Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - Sergey V. Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Leonid Mirny
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Daria Onichtchouk
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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5
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He M, Jiao S, Zhang R, Ye D, Wang H, Sun Y. Translational control by maternal Nanog promotes oogenesis and early embryonic development. Development 2022; 149:286111. [PMID: 36533583 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many maternal mRNAs are translationally repressed during oocyte development and spatio-temporally activated during early embryogenesis, which is crucial for oocyte and early embryo development. By analyzing maternal mutants of nanog (Mnanog) in zebrafish, we demonstrated that Nanog tightly controls translation of maternal mRNA during oogenesis via transcriptional repression of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1, like 2 (eef1a1l2). Loss of maternal Nanog led to defects of egg maturation, increased endoplasmic reticulum stress, and an activated unfold protein response, which was caused by elevated translational activity. We further demonstrated that Nanog, as a transcriptional repressor, represses the transcription of eefl1a1l2 by directly binding to the eef1a1l2 promoter in oocytes. More importantly, depletion of eef1a1l2 in nanog mutant females effectively rescued the elevated translational activity in oocytes, oogenesis defects and embryonic defects of Mnanog embryos. Thus, our study demonstrates that maternal Nanog regulates oogenesis and early embryogenesis through translational control of maternal mRNA via a mechanism whereby Nanog acts as a transcriptional repressor to suppress transcription of eef1a1l2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mudan He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shengbo Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ru Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ding Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Houpeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yonghua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
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6
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Pluripotency factors determine gene expression repertoire at zygotic genome activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:788. [PMID: 35145080 PMCID: PMC8831532 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28434-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Awakening of zygotic transcription in animal embryos relies on maternal pioneer transcription factors. The interplay of global and specific functions of these proteins remains poorly understood. Here, we analyze chromatin accessibility and time-resolved transcription in single and double mutant zebrafish embryos lacking pluripotency factors Pou5f3 and Sox19b. We show that two factors modify chromatin in a largely independent manner. We distinguish four types of direct enhancers by differential requirements for Pou5f3 or Sox19b. We demonstrate that changes in chromatin accessibility of enhancers underlie the changes in zygotic expression repertoire in the double mutants. Pou5f3 or Sox19b promote chromatin accessibility of enhancers linked to the genes involved in gastrulation and ventral fate specification. The genes regulating mesendodermal and dorsal fates are primed for activation independently of Pou5f3 and Sox19b. Strikingly, simultaneous loss of Pou5f3 and Sox19b leads to premature expression of genes, involved in regulation of organogenesis and differentiation. Zygotic genome activation in zebrafish relies on pluripotency transcription factors Pou5f3 and Sox19b. Here the authors investigate how these factors interact in vivo by analyzing the changes in chromatin state and time-resolved transcription in Pou5f3 and Sox19b single and double mutant embryos.
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7
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Li X, Zou C, Li M, Fang C, Li K, Liu Z, Li C. Transcriptome Analysis of In Vitro Fertilization and Parthenogenesis Activation during Early Embryonic Development in Pigs. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101461. [PMID: 34680856 PMCID: PMC8535918 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis activation (PA), as an important artificial breeding method, can stably preserve the dominant genotype of a species. However, the delayed development of PA embryos is still overly severe and largely leads to pre-implantation failure in pigs. The mechanisms underlying the deficiencies of PA embryos have not been completely understood. For further understanding of the molecular mechanism behind PA embryo failure, we performed transcriptome analysis among pig oocytes (meiosis II, MII) and early embryos at three developmental stages (zygote, morula, and blastocyst) in vitro fertilization (IVF) and PA group. Totally, 11,110 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 4694 differentially expressed lincRNAs (DELs) were identified, and most DEGs enriched the regulation of apoptotic processes. Through cis- and trans-manner functional prediction, we found that hub lincRNAs were mostly involved in abnormal parthenogenesis embryonic development. In addition, twenty DE imprinted genes showed that some paternally imprinted genes in IVF displayed higher expression than that in PA. Notably, we identified that three DELs of imprinted genes (MEST, PLAGL1, and DIRAS3) were up regulated in IVF, and there was no significant change in PA group. Disordered expression of key genes for embryonic development might play key roles in abnormal parthenogenesis embryonic development. Our study indicates that embryos derived from different production techniques have varied in vitro development to the blastocyst stage, and they also affect the transcription level of corresponding genes, such as imprinted genes. This work will help future research on these genes and molecular-assisted breeding for pig parthenotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (X.L.); (C.Z.); (M.L.); (C.F.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Cheng Zou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (X.L.); (C.Z.); (M.L.); (C.F.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mengxun Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (X.L.); (C.Z.); (M.L.); (C.F.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chengchi Fang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (X.L.); (C.Z.); (M.L.); (C.F.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Kui Li
- Agricultural Genome Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhiguo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (C.L.)
| | - Changchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (X.L.); (C.Z.); (M.L.); (C.F.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (C.L.)
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8
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Reassembling gastrulation. Dev Biol 2021; 474:71-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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9
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Kushawah G, Hernandez-Huertas L, Abugattas-Nuñez del Prado J, Martinez-Morales JR, DeVore ML, Hassan H, Moreno-Sanchez I, Tomas-Gallardo L, Diaz-Moscoso A, Monges DE, Guelfo JR, Theune WC, Brannan EO, Wang W, Corbin TJ, Moran AM, Sánchez Alvarado A, Málaga-Trillo E, Takacs CM, Bazzini AA, Moreno-Mateos MA. CRISPR-Cas13d Induces Efficient mRNA Knockdown in Animal Embryos. Dev Cell 2020; 54:805-817.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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10
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He M, Zhang R, Jiao S, Zhang F, Ye D, Wang H, Sun Y. Nanog safeguards early embryogenesis against global activation of maternal β-catenin activity by interfering with TCF factors. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000561. [PMID: 32702011 PMCID: PMC7402524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal β-catenin activity is essential and critical for dorsal induction and its dorsal activation has been thoroughly studied. However, how the maternal β-catenin activity is suppressed in the nondorsal cells remains poorly understood. Nanog is known to play a central role for maintenance of the pluripotency and maternal -zygotic transition (MZT). Here, we reveal a novel role of Nanog as a strong repressor of maternal β-catenin signaling to safeguard the embryo against hyperactivation of maternal β-catenin activity and hyperdorsalization. In zebrafish, knockdown of nanog at different levels led to either posteriorization or dorsalization, mimicking zygotic or maternal activation of Wnt/β-catenin activities, and the maternal zygotic mutant of nanog (MZnanog) showed strong activation of maternal β-catenin activity and hyperdorsalization. Although a constitutive activator-type Nanog (Vp16-Nanog, lacking the N terminal) perfectly rescued the MZT defects of MZnanog, it did not rescue the phenotypes resulting from β-catenin signaling activation. Mechanistically, the N terminal of Nanog directly interacts with T-cell factor (TCF) and interferes with the binding of β-catenin to TCF, thereby attenuating the transcriptional activity of β-catenin. Therefore, our study establishes a novel role for Nanog in repressing maternal β-catenin activity and demonstrates a transcriptional switch between β-catenin/TCF and Nanog/TCF complexes, which safeguards the embryo from global activation of maternal β-catenin activity. Maternal β-catenin activity induces the primary dorsal axis during early development, but how the activity is suppressed in the non-dorsal cells remains poorly understood. This study reveals Nanog as a strong repressor of nuclear β-catenin to safeguard embryogenesis against global activation of maternal β-catenin activity and hyper-dorsalization in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mudan He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ru Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shengbo Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fenghua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ding Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Houpeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yonghua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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11
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Schauer A, Pinheiro D, Hauschild R, Heisenberg CP. Zebrafish embryonic explants undergo genetically encoded self-assembly. eLife 2020; 9:55190. [PMID: 32250246 PMCID: PMC7190352 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cell cultures are thought to self-organize into embryoid bodies, able to undergo symmetry-breaking, germ layer specification and even morphogenesis. Yet, it is unclear how to reconcile this remarkable self-organization capacity with classical experiments demonstrating key roles for extrinsic biases by maternal factors and/or extraembryonic tissues in embryogenesis. Here, we show that zebrafish embryonic tissue explants, prepared prior to germ layer induction and lacking extraembryonic tissues, can specify all germ layers and form a seemingly complete mesendoderm anlage. Importantly, explant organization requires polarized inheritance of maternal factors from dorsal-marginal regions of the blastoderm. Moreover, induction of endoderm and head-mesoderm, which require peak Nodal-signaling levels, is highly variable in explants, reminiscent of embryos with reduced Nodal signals from the extraembryonic tissues. Together, these data suggest that zebrafish explants do not undergo bona fide self-organization, but rather display features of genetically encoded self-assembly, where intrinsic genetic programs control the emergence of order.
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12
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Wu E, Vastenhouw NL. From mother to embryo: A molecular perspective on zygotic genome activation. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 140:209-254. [PMID: 32591075 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In animals, the early embryo is mostly transcriptionally silent and development is fueled by maternally supplied mRNAs and proteins. These maternal products are important not only for survival, but also to gear up the zygote's genome for activation. Over the last three decades, research with different model organisms and experimental approaches has identified molecular factors and proposed mechanisms for how the embryo transitions from being transcriptionally silent to transcriptionally competent. In this chapter, we discuss the molecular players that shape the molecular landscape of ZGA and provide insights into their mode of action in activating the transcription program in the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edlyn Wu
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nadine L Vastenhouw
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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13
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Zhang F, Li X, He M, Ye D, Xiong F, Amin G, Zhu Z, Sun Y. Efficient generation of zebrafish maternal-zygotic mutants through transplantation of ectopically induced and Cas9/gRNA targeted primordial germ cells. J Genet Genomics 2020; 47:37-47. [PMID: 32094061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology has been widely utilized for knocking out genes involved in various biological processes in zebrafish. Despite this technology is efficient for generating different mutations, one of the main drawbacks is low survival rate during embryogenesis when knocking out some embryonic lethal genes. To overcome this problem, we developed a novel strategy using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene knockout with primordial germ cell (PGC) transplantation (PGCT) to facilitate and speed up the process of zebrafish mutant generation, particularly for embryonic lethal genes. Firstly, we optimized the procedure for CRISPR/Cas9 targeted PGCT by increasing the efficiencies of genome mutation in PGCs and induction of PGC fates in donor embryos for PGCT. Secondly, the optimized CRISPR/Cas9 targeted PGCT was utilized for generation of maternal-zygotic (MZ) mutants of tcf7l1a (gene essential for head development), pou5f3 (gene essential for zygotic genome activation) and chd (gene essential for dorsal development) at F1 generation with relatively high efficiency. Finally, we revealed some novel phenotypes in MZ mutants of tcf7l1a and chd, as MZtcf7l1a showed elevated neural crest development while MZchd had much severer ventralization than its zygotic counterparts. Therefore, this study presents an efficient and powerful method for generating MZ mutants of embryonic lethal genes in zebrafish. It is also feasible to speed up the genome editing in commercial fishes by utilizing a similar approach by surrogate production of CRISPR/Cas9 targeted germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xianmei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mudan He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ding Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Feng Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Golpour Amin
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zuoyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yonghua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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14
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Dual-initiation promoters with intertwined canonical and TCT/TOP transcription start sites diversify transcript processing. Nat Commun 2020; 11:168. [PMID: 31924754 PMCID: PMC6954239 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13687-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in transcription start site (TSS) selection reflect diversity of preinitiation complexes and can impact on post-transcriptional RNA fates. Most metazoan polymerase II-transcribed genes carry canonical initiation with pyrimidine/purine (YR) dinucleotide, while translation machinery-associated genes carry polypyrimidine initiator (5’-TOP or TCT). By addressing the developmental regulation of TSS selection in zebrafish we uncovered a class of dual-initiation promoters in thousands of genes, including snoRNA host genes. 5’-TOP/TCT initiation is intertwined with canonical initiation and used divergently in hundreds of dual-initiation promoters during maternal to zygotic transition. Dual-initiation in snoRNA host genes selectively generates host and snoRNA with often different spatio-temporal expression. Dual-initiation promoters are pervasive in human and fruit fly, reflecting evolutionary conservation. We propose that dual-initiation on shared promoters represents a composite promoter architecture, which can function both coordinately and divergently to diversify RNAs. The functional significance of start site choice in promoter architectures is little understood. Here the authors identify in zebrafish development and mammalian cells a class of dual-initiation promoters, in which non-canonical YC dinucleotides reflecting 5’-TOP/TCT initiation are intertwined with canonical YR-initiation.
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15
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Pálfy M, Schulze G, Valen E, Vastenhouw NL. Chromatin accessibility established by Pou5f3, Sox19b and Nanog primes genes for activity during zebrafish genome activation. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008546. [PMID: 31940339 PMCID: PMC6986763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many organisms, early embryonic development is driven by maternally provided factors until the controlled onset of transcription during zygotic genome activation. The regulation of chromatin accessibility and its relationship to gene activity during this transition remain poorly understood. Here, we generated chromatin accessibility maps with ATAC-seq from genome activation until the onset of lineage specification. During this period, chromatin accessibility increases at regulatory elements. This increase is independent of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription, with the exception of the hypertranscribed miR-430 locus. Instead, accessibility often precedes the transcription of associated genes. Loss of the maternal transcription factors Pou5f3, Sox19b, and Nanog, which are known to be required for zebrafish genome activation, results in decreased accessibility at regulatory elements. Importantly, the accessibility of regulatory regions, especially when established by Pou5f3, Sox19b and Nanog, is predictive for future transcription. Our results show that the maternally provided transcription factors Pou5f3, Sox19b, and Nanog open up chromatin and prime genes for activity during zygotic genome activation in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Pálfy
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schulze
- Computational Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Eivind Valen
- Computational Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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16
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Abstract
Following fertilization, the two specified gametes must unite to create an entirely new organism. The genome is initially transcriptionally quiescent, allowing the zygote to be reprogrammed into a totipotent state. Gradually, the genome is activated through a process known as the maternal-to-zygotic transition, which enables zygotic gene products to replace the maternal supply that initiated development. This essential transition has been broadly characterized through decades of research in several model organisms. However, we still lack a full mechanistic understanding of how genome activation is executed and how this activation relates to the reprogramming of the zygotic chromatin architecture. Recent work highlights the central role of transcriptional activators and suggests that these factors may coordinate transcriptional activation with other developmental changes.
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17
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Packaging development: how chromatin controls transcription in zebrafish embryogenesis. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:713-724. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20180617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
How developmental gene expression is activated, co-ordinated and maintained is one of the biggest questions in developmental biology. While transcription factors lead the way in directing developmental gene expression, their accessibility to the correct repertoire of genes can depend on other factors such as DNA methylation, the presence of particular histone variants and post-translational modifications of histones. Collectively, factors that modify DNA or affect its packaging and accessibility contribute to a chromatin landscape that helps to control the timely expression of developmental genes. Zebrafish, perhaps better known for their strength as a model of embryology and organogenesis during development, are coming to the fore as a powerful model for interpreting the role played by chromatin in gene expression. Several recent advances have shown that zebrafish exhibit both similarities and differences to other models (and humans) in the way that they employ chromatin mechanisms of gene regulation. Here, I review how chromatin influences developmental transcriptional programmes during early zebrafish development, patterning and organogenesis. Lastly, I briefly highlight the importance of zebrafish chromatin research towards the understanding of human disease and transgenerational inheritance.
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18
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Veil M, Yampolsky LY, Grüning B, Onichtchouk D. Pou5f3, SoxB1, and Nanog remodel chromatin on high nucleosome affinity regions at zygotic genome activation. Genome Res 2019; 29:383-395. [PMID: 30674556 PMCID: PMC6396415 DOI: 10.1101/gr.240572.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish embryo is transcriptionally mostly quiescent during the first 10 cell cycles, until the main wave of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) occurs, accompanied by fast chromatin remodeling. At ZGA, homologs of the mammalian stem cell transcription factors (TFs) Pou5f3, Nanog, and Sox19b bind to thousands of developmental enhancers to initiate transcription. So far, how these TFs influence chromatin dynamics at ZGA has remained unresolved. To address this question, we analyzed nucleosome positions in wild-type and maternal-zygotic (MZ) mutants for pou5f3 and nanog by MNase-seq. We show that Nanog, Sox19b, and Pou5f3 bind to the high nucleosome affinity regions (HNARs). HNARs are spanning over 600 bp, featuring high in vivo and predicted in vitro nucleosome occupancy and high predicted propeller twist DNA shape value. We suggest a two-step nucleosome destabilization-depletion model, in which the same intrinsic DNA properties of HNAR promote both high nucleosome occupancy and differential binding of TFs. In the first step, already before ZGA, Pou5f3 and Nanog destabilize nucleosomes at HNAR centers genome-wide. In the second step, post-ZGA, Nanog, Pou5f3, and SoxB1 maintain open chromatin state on the subset of HNARs, acting synergistically. Nanog binds to the HNAR center, whereas the Pou5f3 stabilizes the flanks. The HNAR model will provide a useful tool for genome regulatory studies in a variety of biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Veil
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology I, Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lev Y Yampolsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614-1710, USA.,Zoological Institute, Basel University, Basel, CH-4051 Switzerland
| | - Björn Grüning
- Department of Computer Science, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, 79110, Freiburg, Germany.,Center for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daria Onichtchouk
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology I, Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Signalling Research centers BIOSS and CIBSS, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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19
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Gagnon JA, Obbad K, Schier AF. The primary role of zebrafish nanog is in extra-embryonic tissue. Development 2018; 145:dev.147793. [PMID: 29180571 DOI: 10.1242/dev.147793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The role of the zebrafish transcription factor Nanog has been controversial. It has been suggested that Nanog is primarily required for the proper formation of the extra-embryonic yolk syncytial layer (YSL) and only indirectly regulates gene expression in embryonic cells. In an alternative scenario, Nanog has been proposed to directly regulate transcription in embryonic cells during zygotic genome activation. To clarify the roles of Nanog, we performed a detailed analysis of zebrafish nanog mutants. Whereas zygotic nanog mutants survive to adulthood, maternal-zygotic (MZnanog) and maternal mutants exhibit developmental arrest at the blastula stage. In the absence of Nanog, YSL formation and epiboly are abnormal, embryonic tissue detaches from the yolk, and the expression of dozens of YSL and embryonic genes is reduced. Epiboly defects can be rescued by generating chimeric embryos of MZnanog embryonic tissue with wild-type vegetal tissue that includes the YSL and yolk cell. Notably, cells lacking Nanog readily respond to Nodal signals and when transplanted into wild-type hosts proliferate and contribute to embryonic tissues and adult organs from all germ layers. These results indicate that zebrafish Nanog is necessary for proper YSL development but is not directly required for embryonic cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Gagnon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kamal Obbad
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Alexander F Schier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA .,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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