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Zeng B, Knapp EM, Skaritanov E, Oramas R, Sun J. ETS transcription factors regulate precise matrix metalloproteinase expression and follicle rupture in Drosophila. Development 2024; 151:dev202276. [PMID: 38345299 PMCID: PMC10946439 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202276] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Drosophila matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) is specifically expressed in posterior follicle cells of stage-14 egg chambers (mature follicles) and is crucial for the breakdown of the follicular wall during ovulation, a process that is highly conserved from flies to mammals. The factors that regulate spatiotemporal expression of MMP2 in follicle cells remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate crucial roles for the ETS-family transcriptional activator Pointed (Pnt) and its endogenous repressor Yan in the regulation of MMP2 expression. We found that Pnt is expressed in posterior follicle cells and overlaps with MMP2 expression in mature follicles. Genetic analysis demonstrated that pnt is both required and sufficient for MMP2 expression in follicle cells. In addition, Yan was temporally upregulated in stage-13 follicle cells to fine-tune Pnt activity and MMP2 expression. Furthermore, we identified a 1.1 kb core enhancer that is responsible for the spatiotemporal expression of MMP2 and contains multiple pnt/yan binding motifs. Mutation of pnt/yan binding sites significantly impaired the Mmp2 enhancer activity. Our data reveal a mechanism of transcriptional regulation of Mmp2 expression in Drosophila ovulation, which could be conserved in other biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baosheng Zeng
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Knapp
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Ekaterina Skaritanov
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Rebecca Oramas
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Vivekanand P. Isoform specific knockdown of the ETS transcription factor Pointed in Drosophila S2 cells. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000731. [PMID: 37292519 PMCID: PMC10245148 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Alternate splicing of the pointed ( pnt ) gene locus produces two major isoforms, PntP1 and PntP2. Understanding their individual contributions to key developmental processes and identification of their genome-wide transcriptional targets has been hampered by a number of factors including their essential roles during embryonic development, and co-expression in several tissues. siRNAs were designed to target isoform-specific exons that code for the unique N-terminal region of either PntP1 or PntP2. The efficacy and specificity of the siRNAs were examined by co-transfection of isoform specific siRNAs with plasmids encoding epitope tagged PntP1 or PntP2 in Drosophila S2 cells. All P1-specific siRNAs were demonstrated to knockdown PntP1 protein level to greater than 95%, while having nominal impact on PntP2 level. Similarly, PntP2 siRNAs while ineffective at eliminating PntP1, were shown to reduce PntP2 protein level by 87-99%.
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Bernasek SM, Hur SSJ, Peláez-Restrepo N, Boisclair Lachance JF, Bakker R, Navarro HT, Sanchez-Luege N, Amaral LAN, Bagheri N, Rebay I, Carthew RW. Ratiometric sensing of Pnt and Yan transcription factor levels confers ultrasensitivity to photoreceptor fate transitions in Drosophila. Development 2023; 150:dev201467. [PMID: 36942737 PMCID: PMC10163347 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Cell state transitions are often triggered by large changes in the concentrations of transcription factors and therefore large differences in their stoichiometric ratios. Whether cells can elicit transitions using modest changes in the ratios of co-expressed factors is unclear. Here, we investigate how cells in the Drosophila eye resolve state transitions by quantifying the expression dynamics of the ETS transcription factors Pnt and Yan. Eye progenitor cells maintain a relatively constant ratio of Pnt/Yan protein, despite expressing both proteins with pulsatile dynamics. A rapid and sustained twofold increase in the Pnt/Yan ratio accompanies transitions to photoreceptor fates. Genetic perturbations that modestly disrupt the Pnt/Yan ratio produce fate transition defects consistent with the hypothesis that transitions are normally driven by a twofold shift in the ratio. A biophysical model based on cooperative Yan-DNA binding coupled with non-cooperative Pnt-DNA binding illustrates how twofold ratio changes could generate ultrasensitive changes in target gene transcription to drive fate transitions. Thus, coupling cell state transitions to the Pnt/Yan ratio sensitizes the system to modest fold-changes, conferring robustness and ultrasensitivity to the developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian M. Bernasek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Suzy S. J. Hur
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicolás Peláez-Restrepo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program
| | | | - Rachael Bakker
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | | | - Nicelio Sanchez-Luege
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Luís A. N. Amaral
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Neda Bagheri
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ilaria Rebay
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Richard W. Carthew
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60611, USA
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