Negative Transcriptional Regulation of Connexin 43 by Tbx2 in Rat Immature Coronal Sutures and ROS 17/2.8 Cells in Culture

Recent Developments in Using Drosophila as a Model for Human Genetic Disease

Many insights into human disease have been built on experimental results in Drosophila, and research in fruit flies is often justified on the basis of its predictive value for questions related to human health. Additionally, there is now a growing recognition of the value of Drosophila for the study of rare human genetic diseases, either as a means of validating the causative nature of a candidate genetic variant found in patients, or as a means of obtaining functional information about a novel disease-linked gene when there is little known about it. For these reasons, funders in the US, Europe, and Canada have launched targeted programs to link human geneticists working on discovering new rare disease loci with researchers who work on the counterpart genes in Drosophila and other model organisms. Several of these initiatives are described here, as are a number of output publications that validate this new approach.

Stretch force guides finger-like pattern of bone formation in suture

Mechanical tension is widely applied on the suture to modulate the growth of craniofacial bones. Deeply understanding the features of bone formation in expanding sutures could help us to improve the outcomes of clinical treatment and avoid some side effects. Although there are reports that have uncovered some biological characteristics, the regular pattern of sutural bone formation in response to expansion forces is still unknown. Our study was to investigate the shape, arrangement and orientation of new bone formation in expanding sutures and explore related clinical implications. The premaxillary sutures of rat, which histologically resembles the sutures of human beings, became wider progressively under stretch force. Micro-CT detected new bones at day 3. Morphologically, these bones were forming in a finger-like pattern, projecting from the maxillae into the expanded sutures. There were about 4 finger-like bones appearing on the selected micro-CT sections at day 3 and this number increased to about 18 at day 7. The average length of these projections increased from 0.14 mm at day 3 to 0.81 mm at day 7. The volume of these bony protuberances increased to the highest level of 0.12 mm³ at day 7. HE staining demonstrated that these finger-like bones had thick bases connecting with the maxillae and thin fronts stretching into the expanded suture. Nasal sections had a higher frequency of finger-like bones occuring than the oral sections at day 3 and day 5. Masson-stained sections showed stretched fibers embedding into maxillary margins. Osteocalcin-positive osteoblasts changed their shapes from cuboidal to spindle and covered the surfaces of finger-like bones continuously. Alizarin red S and calcein deposited in the inner and outer layers of finger-like bones respectively, which showed that longer and larger bones formed on the nasal side of expanded sutures compared with the oral side. Interestingly, these finger-like bones were almost paralleling with the direction of stretch force. Inclined force led to inclined finger-like bones formation and deflection of bilateral maxillae. Additionally, heavily compressive force caused fracture of finger-like bones in the sutures. These data together proposed the special finger-like pattern of bone formation in sutures guided by stretch force, providing important implications for maxillary expansion.

TBX2 over-expression promotes nasopharyngeal cancer cell proliferation and invasion

TBX2 is a member of the T box transcription factor family. Its expression and potential biological functions in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) cells are studied here. We showed that TBX2 mRNA and protein expression was significantly elevated in multiple human NPC tissues, as compared with that in adjacent normal tissues. Knockdown of TBX2 by targeted-siRNA significantly inhibited proliferation and invasion of NPC cells (CNE-1 and HONE-1 lines). Meanwhile, TBX2 knockdown also induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest. At the molecular level, we discovered that expressions of several tumor suppressor genes, including p21, p27, phosphatase with tensin homology (PTEN) and E-Cadherin, were increased dramatically after TBX2 knockdown in above NPC cells. Collectively, our results imply that TBX2 over-expression promotes NPC cell proliferation and invasion, possibly via silencing several key tumor suppressor genes.

Bile acids alter male fertility through G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 signaling pathways in mice

Bile acids (BAs) are signaling molecules that are involved in many physiological functions, such as glucose and energy metabolism. These effects are mediated through activation of the nuclear and membrane receptors, farnesoid X receptor (FXR-α) and TGR5 (G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1; GPBAR1). Although both receptors are expressed within the testes, the potential effect of BAs on testis physiology and male fertility has not been explored thus far. Here, we demonstrate that mice fed a diet supplemented with cholic acid have reduced fertility subsequent to testicular defects. Initially, germ cell sloughing and rupture of the blood-testis barrier occur and are correlated with decreased protein accumulation of connexin-43 (Cx43) and N-cadherin, whereas at later stages, apoptosis of spermatids is observed. These abnormalities are associated with increased intratesticular BA levels in general and deoxycholic acid, a TGR5 agonist, in particular. We demonstrate here that Tgr5 is expressed within the germ cell lineage, where it represses Cx43 expression through regulation of the transcriptional repressor, T-box transcription factor 2 gene. Consistent with this finding, mice deficient for Tgr5 are protected against the deleterious testicular effects of BA exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

These data identify the testis as a new target of BAs and emphasize TGR5 as a critical element in testicular pathophysiology. This work may open new perspectives on the potential effect of BAs on testis physiology during liver dysfunction.

Loss of Tbx2 delays optic vesicle invagination leading to small optic cups

Tbx2 is a T-box transcription factor gene that is dynamically expressed in the presumptive retina during optic vesicle invagination. Several findings implicate Tbx2 in cell cycle regulation, including its overexpression in tumours and regulation of proliferation during heart development. We investigated the role of Tbx2 in optic cup formation by analysing mice with a targeted homozygous mutation in Tbx2. Loss of Tbx2 caused a reduced presumptive retinal volume due to increased apoptosis, and a delay in ventral optic vesicle invagination leading to the formation of small and abnormally shaped optic cups. Tbx2 is essential for maintenance, but not induction of expression of the dorsal retinal determinant, Tbx5, and acts downstream of Bmp4, a dorsally expressed gene implicated in human microphthalmia. The small retina showed a hypocellular ventral region, loss of Fgf15, normally expressed in proliferating central retinal cells, and increased numbers of mitotic cells in the dorsal region, indicating that Tbx2 is required for normal growth and development across the D-V axis. Dorsal expression of potential regulators of retinal growth, Cyp1b1 and Cx43, and the topographic guidance molecule ephrinB2, was increased, and intraretinal axons were disorganised resulting in a failure of optic nerve formation. Our data provide evidence that Tbx2 is required for proper optic cup formation and plays a critical early role in regulating regional retinal growth and the acquisition of shape during optic vesicle invagination.

Msx1 and Msx2 are functional interacting partners of T-box factors in the regulation of Connexin43

AIMS

T-box factors Tbx2 and Tbx3 play key roles in the development of the cardiac conduction system, atrioventricular canal, and outflow tract of the heart. They regulate the gap-junction-encoding gene Connexin43 (Cx43) and other genes critical for heart development and function. Discovering protein partners of Tbx2 and Tbx3 will shed light on the mechanisms by which these factors regulate these gene programs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Employing an yeast 2-hybrid screen and subsequent in vitro pull-down experiments we demonstrate that muscle segment homeobox genes Msx1 and Msx2 are able to bind the cardiac T-box proteins Tbx2, Tbx3, and Tbx5. This interaction, as that of the related Nkx2.5 protein, is supported by the T-box and homeodomain alone. Overlapping spatiotemporal expression patterns of Msx1 and Msx2 together with the T-box genes during cardiac development in mouse and chicken underscore the biological significance of this interaction. We demonstrate that Msx proteins together with Tbx2 and Tbx3 suppress Cx43 promoter activity and down regulate Cx43 gene activity in a rat heart-derived cell line. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis we demonstrate that Msx1 can bind the Cx43 promoter at a conserved binding site located in close proximity to a previously defined T-box binding site, and that the activity of Msx proteins on this promoter appears dependent in the presence of Tbx3.

CONCLUSION

Msx1 and Msx2 can function in concert with the T-box proteins to suppress Cx43 and other working myocardial genes.

Connexin 40, a target of transcription factor Tbx5, patterns wrist, digits, and sternum

Haploinsufficiency of T-box transcription factor 5 (TBX5) causes human Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS), a developmental disorder characterized by skeletal and heart malformations. Mice carrying a Tbx5 null allele (Tbx5(+/Delta)) have malformations in digits, wrists, and sternum joints, regions where Tbx5 is expressed. We demonstrate that mice deficient in connexin 40 (Cx40), a Tbx5-regulated gap junction component, shared axial and appendicular skeletal malformations with Tbx5(+/Delta) mice. Although no role in skeleton patterning has been described for gap junctions, we demonstrate here that Cx40 is involved in formation of specific joints, as well as bone shape. Even a 50% reduction in either Tbx5 or Cx40 produces bone abnormalities, demonstrating their crucial control over skeletal development. Further, we demonstrate that Tbx5 exerts in part its key regulatory role in bone growth and maturation by controlling via Cx40 the expression of Sox9 (a transcription factor essential for chondrogenesis and skeleton growth). Our study strongly suggests that Cx40 deficiency accounts for many skeletal malformations in HOS and that Tbx5 regulation of Cx40 plays a critical role in the exquisite developmental patterning of the forelimbs and sternum.

Differential target gene activation by TBX2 and TBX2VP16: evidence for activation domain-dependent modulation of gene target specificity

The determinants of in vivo target site selectivity by transcription factors are poorly understood. To find targets for the developmentally regulated transcription factor TBX2, we generated stable transfectants of human embryonic kidney cells (293) that express a TBX2-ecdysone receptor (EcR) chimeric protein. While constitutive expression of TBX2 is toxic to 293 cells, clones expressing TBX2EcR are viable in the absence of an EcR ligand. Using cDNA arrays and quantitative PCR, we discovered nine genes whose expression was increased, but no genes whose expression was reduced, following 24 h of induction with Ponasterone A (PonA), a ligand for EcR. Since TBX2 was reported previously to be a transcriptional repressor, we also generated cell lines expressing a TBX2VP16EcR protein which we showed was a potent conditional transcriptional activator in transient transfection assays. Treatment of these cells with PonA induced the expression of five genes, none of which were affected in TBX2EcR-expressing cells. This discordance between TBX2- and TBX2VP16-regulated genes strongly suggests that specific transactivation domains can be a major determinant of gene target site selectivity by transcription factors that possess the same DNA-binding domain.

Tension–Induced Reduction in Connexin 43 Expression in Cranial Sutures Is Linked to Transcriptional Regulation by TBX2

Cranial sutures produce bone at precisely the right rate and time to maintain homeostasis. Connexin 43 (CX43), a protein important for communication in bone, is downregulated during cell proliferation and is released from suppression or upregulated during differentiation. Our previous studies have shown that binding sites for the transcription regulatory protein TBX2 are located in the promoter sequence, upstream of the Cx43 gene. We have shown that TBX2 binding suppresses Cx43 expression. The current study uses transgenic mice in which the TBX2 promoter has been spliced upstream of the coding sequence for green fluorescent protein (GFP). This study shows upregulation of TBX2 after stretching. RNA from stretched and unstretched sutures was used for GeneChip and Western analysis. The results show an increase in Tbx2 and a decrease in Cx43 gene and protein expression with stretch. Our findings support a model of strain-regulated bone formation with feedback inhibition that maintains sutural patency during development.