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Leyhr J, Sanchez S, Dollman KN, Tafforeau P, Haitina T. Enhanced contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography for describing skeleton-associated soft tissue defects in zebrafish mutants. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1108916. [PMID: 36950679 PMCID: PMC10025580 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1108916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed histological analyses are desirable for zebrafish mutants that are models for human skeletal diseases, but traditional histological techniques are limited to two-dimensional thin sections with orientations highly dependent on careful sample preparation. On the other hand, techniques that provide three-dimensional (3D) datasets including µCT scanning are typically limited to visualizing the bony skeleton and lack histological resolution. We combined diffusible iodine-based contrast enhancement (DICE) and propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (PPC-SRµCT) to image late larval and juvenile zebrafish, obtaining high-quality 3D virtual histology datasets of the mineralized skeleton and surrounding soft tissues. To demonstrate this technique, we used virtual histological thin sections and 3D segmentation to qualitatively and quantitatively compare wild-type zebrafish and nkx3.2 -/- mutants to characterize novel soft-tissue phenotypes in the muscles and tendons of the jaw and ligaments of the Weberian apparatus, as well as the sinus perilymphaticus associated with the inner ear. We could observe disrupted fiber organization and tendons of the adductor mandibulae and protractor hyoideus muscles associated with the jaws, and show that despite this, the overall muscle volumes appeared unaffected. Ligaments associated with the malformed Weberian ossicles were mostly absent in nkx3.2 -/- mutants, and the sinus perilymphaticus was severely constricted or absent as a result of the fused exoccipital and basioccipital elements. These soft-tissue phenotypes have implications for the physiology of nkx3.2 -/- zebrafish, and demonstrate the promise of DICE-PPC-SRµCT for histopathological investigations of bone-associated soft tissues in small-fish skeletal disease models and developmental studies more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Leyhr
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sophie Sanchez
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Paul Tafforeau
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Tatjana Haitina
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Abstract
Joints enable nearly all vertebrate animal motion, from feeding to locomotion. However, despite well over a century of arthrological research, we still understand very little about how the structure of joints relates to the kinematics they exhibit in life. This Commentary discusses the value of joint mobility as a lens through which to study articular form and function. By independently exploring form-mobility and mobility-function relationships and integrating the insights gained, we can develop a deep understanding of the strength and causality of articular form-function relationships. In turn, we will better illuminate the basics of 'how joints work' and be well positioned to tackle comparative investigations of the diverse repertoire of vertebrate animal motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armita R Manafzadeh
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA.,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, 17 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520-8292, USA
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3
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Leyhr J, Waldmann L, Filipek-Górniok B, Zhang H, Allalou A, Haitina T. A novel cis-regulatory element drives early expression of Nkx3.2 in the gnathostome primary jaw joint. eLife 2022; 11:75749. [PMCID: PMC9665848 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of movable jaws was a major event during vertebrate evolution. The role of NK3 homeobox 2 (Nkx3.2) transcription factor in patterning the primary jaw joint of gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) is well known, however knowledge about its regulatory mechanism is lacking. In this study, we report a proximal enhancer element of Nkx3.2 that is deeply conserved in most gnathostomes but undetectable in the jawless hagfish and lamprey. This enhancer is active in the developing jaw joint region of the zebrafish Danio rerio, and was thus designated as jaw joint regulatory sequence 1 (JRS1). We further show that JRS1 enhancer sequences from a range of gnathostome species, including a chondrichthyan and mammals, have the same activity in the jaw joint as the native zebrafish enhancer, indicating a high degree of functional conservation despite the divergence of cartilaginous and bony fish lineages or the transition of the primary jaw joint into the middle ear of mammals. Finally, we show that deletion of JRS1 from the zebrafish genome using CRISPR/Cas9 results in a significant reduction of early gene expression of nkx3.2 and leads to a transient jaw joint deformation and partial fusion. Emergence of this Nkx3.2 enhancer in early gnathostomes may have contributed to the origin and shaping of the articulating surfaces of vertebrate jaws.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Leyhr
- Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
| | - Laura Waldmann
- Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
| | - Beata Filipek-Górniok
- Science for Life Laboratory Genome Engineering Zebrafish Facility, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
| | - Hanqing Zhang
- Division of Visual Information and Interaction, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University
- Science for Life Laboratory BioImage Informatics Facility
| | - Amin Allalou
- Division of Visual Information and Interaction, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University
- Science for Life Laboratory BioImage Informatics Facility
| | - Tatjana Haitina
- Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
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Fox SC, Widen SA, Asai-Coakwell M, Havrylov S, Benson M, Prichard LB, Baddam P, Graf D, Lehmann OJ, Waskiewicz AJ. BMP3 is a novel locus involved in the causality of ocular coloboma. Hum Genet 2022; 141:1385-1407. [PMID: 35089417 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02430-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Coloboma, a congenital disorder characterized by gaps in ocular tissues, is caused when the choroid fissure fails to close during embryonic development. Several loci have been associated with coloboma, but these represent less than 40% of those that are involved with this disease. Here, we describe a novel coloboma-causing locus, BMP3. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing of patients with coloboma identified three variants in BMP3, two of which are predicted to be disease causing. Consistent with this, bmp3 mutant zebrafish have aberrant fissure closure. bmp3 is expressed in the ventral head mesenchyme and regulates phosphorylated Smad3 in a population of cells adjacent to the choroid fissure. Furthermore, mutations in bmp3 sensitize embryos to Smad3 inhibitor treatment resulting in open choroid fissures. Micro CT scans and Alcian blue staining of zebrafish demonstrate that mutations in bmp3 cause midface hypoplasia, suggesting that bmp3 regulates cranial neural crest cells. Consistent with this, we see active Smad3 in a population of periocular neural crest cells, and bmp3 mutant zebrafish have reduced neural crest cells in the choroid fissure. Taken together, these data suggest that Bmp3 controls Smad3 phosphorylation in neural crest cells to regulate early craniofacial and ocular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina C Fox
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sonya A Widen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Vienna BioCenter, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mika Asai-Coakwell
- Department of Animal and Poultry and Animal Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Serhiy Havrylov
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Matthew Benson
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lisa B Prichard
- Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Pranidhi Baddam
- Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel Graf
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ordan J Lehmann
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew J Waskiewicz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada. .,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Waldmann L, Leyhr J, Zhang H, Öhman-Mägi C, Allalou A, Haitina T. The broad role of Nkx3.2 in the development of the zebrafish axial skeleton. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255953. [PMID: 34411150 PMCID: PMC8376051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Nkx3.2 (Bapx1) is an important chondrocyte maturation inhibitor. Previous Nkx3.2 knockdown and overexpression studies in non-mammalian gnathostomes have focused on its role in primary jaw joint development, while the function of this gene in broader skeletal development is not fully described. We generated a mutant allele of nkx3.2 in zebrafish with CRISPR/Cas9 and applied a range of techniques to characterize skeletal phenotypes at developmental stages from larva to adult, revealing loss of the jaw joint, fusions in bones of the occiput, morphological changes in the Weberian apparatus, and the loss or deformation of bony elements derived from basiventral cartilages of the vertebrae. Axial phenotypes are reminiscent of Nkx3.2 knockout in mammals, suggesting that the function of this gene in axial skeletal development is ancestral to osteichthyans. Our results highlight the broad role of nkx3.2 in zebrafish skeletal development and its context-specific functions in different skeletal elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Waldmann
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jake Leyhr
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hanqing Zhang
- Division of Visual Information and Interaction, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory BioImage Informatics Facility, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Caroline Öhman-Mägi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amin Allalou
- Division of Visual Information and Interaction, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory BioImage Informatics Facility, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tatjana Haitina
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Castellanos BS, Reyes-Nava NG, Quintana AM. Knockdown of hspg2 is associated with abnormal mandibular joint formation and neural crest cell dysfunction in zebrafish. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2021; 21:7. [PMID: 33678174 PMCID: PMC7938484 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-021-00238-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (HSPG2) encodes for perlecan, a large proteoglycan that plays an important role in cartilage formation, cell adhesion, and basement membrane stability. Mutations in HSPG2 have been associated with Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome (SJS) and Dyssegmental Dysplasia Silverman-Handmaker Type (DDSH), two disorders characterized by skeletal abnormalities. These data indicate a function for HSPG2 in cartilage development/maintenance. However, the mechanisms in which HSPG2 regulates cartilage development are not completely understood. Here, we explored the relationship between this gene and craniofacial development through morpholino-mediated knockdown of hspg2 using zebrafish. RESULTS Knockdown of hspg2 resulted in abnormal development of the mandibular jaw joint at 5 days post fertilization (DPF). We surmised that defects in mandible development were a consequence of neural crest cell (NCC) dysfunction, as these multipotent progenitors produce the cartilage of the head. Early NCC development was normal in morphant animals as measured by distal-less homeobox 2a (dlx2a) and SRY-box transcription factor 10 (sox10) expression at 1 DPF. However, subsequent analysis at later stages of development (4 DPF) revealed a decrease in the number of Sox10 + and Collagen, type II, alpha 1a (Col2a1a)+ cells within the mandibular jaw joint region of morphants relative to random control injected embryos. Concurrently, morphants showed a decreased expression of nkx3.2, a marker of jaw joint formation, at 4 DPF. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these data suggest a complex role for hspg2 in jaw joint formation and late stage NCC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968 USA
| | - Anita M. Quintana
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968 USA
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Truong BT, Artinger KB. The power of zebrafish models for understanding the co-occurrence of craniofacial and limb disorders. Genesis 2021; 59:e23407. [PMID: 33393730 PMCID: PMC8153179 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Craniofacial and limb defects are two of the most common congenital anomalies in the general population. Interestingly, these defects are not mutually exclusive. Many patients with craniofacial phenotypes, such as orofacial clefting and craniosynostosis, also present with limb defects, including polydactyly, syndactyly, brachydactyly, or ectrodactyly. The gene regulatory networks governing craniofacial and limb development initially seem distinct from one another, and yet these birth defects frequently occur together. Both developmental processes are highly conserved among vertebrates, and zebrafish have emerged as an advantageous model due to their high fecundity, relative ease of genetic manipulation, and transparency during development. Here we summarize studies that have used zebrafish models to study human syndromes that present with both craniofacial and limb phenotypes. We discuss the highly conserved processes of craniofacial and limb/fin development and describe recent zebrafish studies that have explored the function of genes associated with human syndromes with phenotypes in both structures. We attempt to identify commonalities between the two to help explain why craniofacial and limb anomalies often occur together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany T. Truong
- Human Medical Genetics & Genomics Graduate Program, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Kristin Bruk Artinger
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
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Smeeton J, Natarajan N, Naveen Kumar A, Miyashita T, Baddam P, Fabian P, Graf D, Crump JG. Zebrafish model for spondylo-megaepiphyseal-metaphyseal dysplasia reveals post-embryonic roles of Nkx3.2 in the skeleton. Development 2021; 148:dev193409. [PMID: 33462117 PMCID: PMC7860120 DOI: 10.1242/dev.193409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The regulated expansion of chondrocytes within growth plates and joints ensures proper skeletal development through adulthood. Mutations in the transcription factor NKX3.2 underlie spondylo-megaepiphyseal-metaphyseal dysplasia (SMMD), which is characterized by skeletal defects including scoliosis, large epiphyses, wide growth plates and supernumerary distal limb joints. Whereas nkx3.2 knockdown zebrafish and mouse Nkx3.2 mutants display embryonic lethal jaw joint fusions and skeletal reductions, respectively, they lack the skeletal overgrowth seen in SMMD patients. Here, we report adult viable nkx3.2 mutant zebrafish displaying cartilage overgrowth in place of a missing jaw joint, as well as severe dysmorphologies of the facial skeleton, skullcap and spine. In contrast, cartilage overgrowth and scoliosis are absent in rare viable nkx3.2 knockdown animals that lack jaw joints, supporting post-embryonic roles for Nkx3.2. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and in vivo validation reveal increased proliferation and upregulation of stress-induced pathways, including prostaglandin synthases, in mutant chondrocytes. By generating a zebrafish model for the skeletal overgrowth defects of SMMD, we reveal post-embryonic roles for Nkx3.2 in dampening proliferation and buffering the stress response in joint-associated chondrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Smeeton
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Natasha Natarajan
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Arati Naveen Kumar
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Tetsuto Miyashita
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Pranidhi Baddam
- Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Peter Fabian
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Daniel Graf
- Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada
| | - J. Gage Crump
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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